Demise Resolution
by smile78mtl
Summary: The relationship between Naoe and his master, Lord Kagetora will finally seek its ending. [Naoe x Takaya]
1. Chapter 1

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Smile: I love cute guys! When two gorgeous guys get together, oh they are so HOT!

Mirage of Blaze… In my opinion, this anime has a lot of loop holes and I've watched it many times and still don't get it. All the names and history of Japan confused me. The anime doesn't really cover much truth of the history itself, but the characters that it has mentioned are indeed important people during those periods of times. I'm not a history geek, so I'm not going to dig up the Japanese History and write a book about it. Yet, to get a better understanding of the story, I will try to briefly summarize the historical events from the anime in the first chapter. I will fill in the gaps with my own interpretation of what happened, but keep in mind that I'm making things up here, so don't take them seriously. The story will be progress from chapter two.

Warning: Yaoi content. This story may include rape, torture and lots of fluffs provided by yours truly. It may also be subject to lemon (sex), so if you don't like the idea of boys on boy's relationship, then please don't read this story.

Disclaimer: Love Naoe! Love Takaya! But, Mirage of Blaze is not mine.

Summary: The relationship between Naoe and his master, Lord Kagetora will finally seek its ending.

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**DEMISE RESOLUTION **

**Chapter 1 **

Four hundred years of love and hate. Four hundred years of endurance, sacrifice and pain. When will they end? The relationship of Naoe and his master, Lord Kagetora had lingered on for that long, through many incarnations and endless cycles of life and death, and yet, they couldn't find a resolution.

This all began during the uprising and feudal era of war where endless battles were fought over dominions and territories. A well known battle of Kawanakajima fought between Shingen Takeda of Kai versus Kenshin Uesugi of Echigo took place from the year of 1553 to 1564.

During this period, in 1561, ordered by the shogunate, Kenshin invaded the Hojo's domain and took over the castle of Odawara. In an effort to stand on their ground, the Hojo made an alliance with Shingen Takeda. Here entered the seventh son of Ujiyasu Hojo, Saburo Hojo. At the age of ten, the boy was sent to the Takeda clan as a hostage to prove their alliance against the Uesugi army in 1562. Many battles were fought and thousands of lives were killed. The battle of Kawanakajima finally ended in 1564.

In 1569, troubles arose between the Hojo and the Takeda clans. Some time before these unfortunate events, Shingen had already released the captive Ujiyasu's son back to the Hojo clan. The Hojo quickly made peace with the Uesugi army and once again sent the seventeen year old Saburo to Echigo to be a hostage or in a prettier term to be adopted by Kenshin Uesugi. As an adopted son, Saburo Hojo ceased from existence and a Kagetora Uesugi was born.

In 1571, Ujiyasu died and his son, Ujimasa Hojo took leadership of the clan. Ujimasa entered an alliance with the Takeda to fulfill his evil scheme against Kenshin and the shogunate Tokugawa. Betrayed by his blood brother, Kagetora was defiled and lost. Here entered Nobutsuna Naoe, the vassal of his younger brother, Kagekatsu Uesugi who was also an adopted son of Kenshin Uesugi. He found the mystified Kagetora in the field of battle and brought him home safely to his Lord Kenshin. Kagetora was fond to his rescuer and soon found his place with the Uesugi army and gave Kenshin his total obedience.

In 1578, Lord Kenshin died and named both of his adopted sons, Kagetora and Kagekatsu as the heirs to the Uesugi army. The two fought over succession and who was to get total control. Kagetora was a great leader with skilled swordsmanship while Kagekatsu was more clever and scheming. The younger brother attacked Kagetora where it hurt the most, taking advantage of his wound and weaknesses. Leaving Kagetora with no choice, he committed suicide in the flames of Samegao Castle in Otate at the age of twenty-six in 1579.

Nobutsuna Naoe while served under the command of Kagekatsu was held captive during the scheme in Otate. By the time he reached Kagetora; Kagetora had already drawn his sword and positioned it over his left shoulder by his neck. He called to his lord, but he was too late; his Lord Kagetora had slain himself on the top floor of the burning castle. Naoe bitterly held his lord's body in his arms and died with it in the fire of Samegao Castle.

This marked the beginning of the 400 years relationship between his lord and his master. Both men died utterly in regrets and sorrow. Bitterness and hatred lingered and didn't allow them to pass over. Their souls wandered the plain until the great Lord Kenshin's spirit gathered them together and granted them exorcism powers, which were provided by the God of War and Warrior, Bishamonten.

At this point in time, they became possessors. Possessors were souls of people who died with much bitterness and hatred that they couldn't pass over. They could also be people who died but refused the cleaning process and lingered on the plain of life. These souls could possess other people's body and claimed as their own. They could also be reincarnated or reborn into a new human's life and still retained the memories of their past lives.

With the power of Bishamonten, Kenshin formed an underworld army call the Netherworld Uesugi. He appointed Kagetora in command with total control. Serving under Kagetora was Nobutsuna Naoe who Kenshin ordered to protect the body of whomever Kagetora possessed at all cost. The duty of the Netherworld army was to exorcise vengeful and wandering spirits and send them to the other side. For four hundred years, this was what the Netherworld army had been doing, exorcising vengeful sprits from the reign of war and angry warlords who wouldn't pass over.

In the most recent battle with Oda Nobunaga thirty years ago (1949), Kenshin spirit was destroyed. The Netherworld Uesugi was utterly defeated leaving only five members. Lord Kagetora and Naoe's spirits were also at the verge of annihilation. Their souls were once again scattered. Each went their separate way to possess and reincarnate.

For thirty long years, Naoe had been searching for his lord. Almost losing hope, he finally found his lord when the Takeda clan tried to resurrect the spirit of Shingen Takeda.

The year now was 1979 and Naoe found his lordship. Kagetora had reincarnated, but somehow he had sealed away his memories. Kagetora had no collection of his past lives. What was his purpose for sealing his memories? Naoe did not know, neither did his current master, Takaya Ougi who came to live seventeen years ago know anything about it. The one thing that his current master knew, but refused to accept was that he and Kagetora Uesugi were one.

Now an ending to the 400 years of history will begin.

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**End of Chapter **

Smile: Yeah, I know this chapter is boring. The next chapter will start the real story, which will take place right after the anime. I've thought of some ideas for the plot, but I haven't had time to finalize it yet. Once I have it done, I'll start writing. Plus, I want to see if anyone out there is interested. If not enough people are interested, then I might just stop it here and call it a one shot history review.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

Why? The only word and question that was able to cross Takaya's mind at the time. 'Why?' He asked himself as Naoe walked away and left him standing on the deck of Chuzenji's Lake. It was autumn and the breeze circulating the lake was getting cold. "Naoe, you bastard!" He cried into the jacket that Naoe had coated him before he left. His hands were gripping onto the collar of the jacket as he heaved a sigh and thought, 'Did you save me because I am Takaya or because I am to be Kagetora?' He continued to stare over the vast area of the lake and once again wondered to himself, 'If I were to become Kagetora completely, then would I have earned the right to think about you? Should I even consider you like that?' Naoe had just confessed his love for him, but didn't give him a chance to respond, to tell Naoe what he wanted or how he felt. "Naoe, you idiot!" He growled to the lake. Then, as he caught his breath, he sniveled. "No, I'm the idiot."

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A Month Later…

"What is this? Where am I?" Takaya found himself floating in the middle of strange and dismal space. He was surrounded by darkness. All he was able to see was Naoe's fainted shadow walking away from him. All he was able to hear was Naoe's footsteps; they continued to tap from the soles of his Bostonian shoes and as he walked further away, the tapping faded.

"No, Naoe!" Takaya called from behind, but Naoe didn't respond. "Naoe, come back!" He called again. "Nobutsuna Naoe, I order you to come back!" He demanded in a deep and strong tone of voice. "Please… don't…!" He cried out. He tried to reach for the figure that was leaving him behind, but his body was frozen; he couldn't move. His body didn't want to take order from him. He kept on calling out, but somehow Naoe couldn't hear him. His breath got coarse and dried as he continued to beg for Naoe to return to him. "Please… don't leave me…" Soon, Naoe disappeared and the world around him turned completely dark. It turned into a pitch black color; a color of nothingness. Everything became blank and his mind became empty as he screamed the last bit that was left in him, "NAOE!"

"Takaya, are you okay?" Yuzuru asked his friend, who screamed himself awake in class. Everyone's eyes were on him; he had suddenly emerged from his seat, stroked his sweaty palms onto his desk and kicked his chair backward as he got up. He was preoccupied with his heavy breathing and didn't notice the dozens of eyes that were gazing at him including the professor.

"Mr. Ougi, this is very inappropriate during class time. I find it disturbing that you are sleeping in class, but what disturb me the most is your attitude recently." The professor scolded his student, but his student didn't reply. He continued to catch his breath as he leveled his eyes to meet his homeroom teacher. The professor sighed at the sight of Takaya's straight face. He showed no expression whatsoever, like he didn't care or careless about what just happened. This worried the professor as he instructed his pupil outside. "Go take a seat outside the classroom and take some time to think about what happened. I want you to focus on what purpose you are here for and why are you in school?"

Takaya rolled his eyes from his teacher then to the dozens of other eyes that were staring at him. He didn't bother to argue, more or less, to embarrass himself any further. He complied and excused himself from the classroom.

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Later during lunch, Yuzuru and Chiaki found Takaya sitting on the roof. He was staring into the sky with his arms crossed behind his head. It appeared that he was chanting something to himself. "That bastard! He's in my dream again. Why…? Why didn't he come back? Even when he's not around, he still managed to piss me off!" He filled his lungs and blew the unseen element up through his throat and out of his mouth, all in one heavy blow.

"What's that for?" Chiaki sneered as he and Yuzuru advanced to the disturbed boy. "If I don't know better, I think that you miss your partner."

Takaya rolled his hazel brown eyes and again sighed heavily as he dropped his arms, resting them on his knees, head down and closed his eyes. "Leave me alone." He said, flat and cold.

"What's wrong Takaya? You've been acting strange lately." Yuzuru asked politely as he took a seat beside his friend.

The question didn't register into Takaya's mind. His mind had already drifted off to another dimension. 'Damn it! Why am I so tired? I've been thinking about that bastard all this time that I haven't had a descent night of sleep. When did I become like this? Why did his absence bother me so much? I was doing just fine. Then he came in and changed everything that I knew of. He changed everything. It's all because of him; he's the cause of my changing. He's… the cause. Why in the world did he tell me that he loves me and then leave like that? What does he expect me to do? Why does he do this to me?' He groaned.

Yuzuru patted his friend's shoulder, "Takaya, are you okay?"

"Huh?" He lifted his head up, recognizing the worry look from his friend's eyes; he took a deep breath and replied calmly, "I'm fine."

Still concerned, Yuzuru turned to ask his wheat blonde friend in a ponytail who was leaning against the fence about two feet away from them. "Chiaki, do you know what's bothering him?"

"More or less." He replied bluntly.

"What is it? Does it have anything to do with Naoe?" Yuzuru wanted to know. It was strange of Takaya to be screaming Naoe's name in class like that. He must be worried about Naoe's new mission.

Takaya growled. "Nothing is wrong with me okay? I've just got scolded by the professor and he's making me write a paper on what purpose I'm here at school for. What do I want to accomplish? Hell with him! How would I know? I have enough as it is: school, exorcising ghost and protecting Miya. What more do I need to do? I don't have time for this crap."

"True, that is the least of your worries.…" Chiaki smirked.

"What do you mean by that?" He shifted his attention to the boy with a smear look on his face.

Chiaki didn't respond; he knew too well that Takaya was lying, though not completely, yet his main worries were not school, exorcising ghost or the least, not the damn paper assignment. He was worried about the subordinate that was missing from the scene.

Yuzuru felt a disturbance between his two friends, "What's going on? Am I missing something here?" He asked Takaya.

"No." His friend replied.

"Then, why are you being so distance lately? And, why did you scream Naoe's name like that? Did something happen to him?"

"No." He replied again, still flat and dull.

Yuzuru paused and didn't proceed with anymore question; he knew his friend was certainly bothered by something or someone, but didn't want to say it. This was typical of Takaya trying to keep it to himself.

Silence.

After a long pause, the stubborn boy sighed, "What is going on with Naoe? Why isn't he back yet?"

"So…, you're worrying about him?" Chiaki with his mocking tone of voice asked the obvious.

"Hell no! Why should I?" He argued verbally, but inside doubt was troubling him. He looked straight forward to a distance across the roof, 'What is wrong with me? Why do I have to lie? He's been gone for a month. A freaking month! What could he have been doing all this time?'

"Then, what's your problem man?" Chiaki could feel it in his chest; he was about to explode. He couldn't continue to deal with this nonsense any longer.

After another pause, Takaya exhaled his frustration and again buried his head in his arms. He shook his head slightly and bluntly he said, "I'm just tired with all of this; possessors, warlords and vengeful spirits. I had just about enough of it! If I hadn't met Naoe, then none of this would happen. I'll be just another normal high school student minding his own business."

"Stop acting like a child and grow up!"

"Why you?" He immediately stood up and Yuzuru followed him. "I am not a child!" He roared.

"No, you're not. You're Lord Kagetora, the leader of the Netherworld Uesugi Army. As a leader, you should act like one and stop moping like an idiot."

"I am not Kagetora!"

"Why are you making this more complicated than it is? There is no way that you can deny the fact that you are Kagetora, no matter what you say."

Takaya looked away to find the concrete floor of the roof. 'I know that Kagetora is a part of me, but why can't I accept him? Part of me wants to become him and the other part of me doesn't.'

Chiaki keenly observed the hesitant boy as he adjusted his tone and addressed the boy with a straight voice. "Did something happen between you and Naoe again?"

"It's none of your business."

The blonde boy sighed, "You know what? I'm very tired of this, too. It's been four centuries and the same cycle continues to follow you and Naoe. Can you give a man some room to breath here? You need to end whatever mess you have going on with him."

"What do you mean? I didn't do anything wrong. It's not my fault."

"No, it's never your fault and that's the problem. Kagetora, you're always been so self-centered and wouldn't submit to your own mistakes. You are the reason why Naoe turns into the man he is today. Everything is your fault, but for some god forsakes reason, you seal off your memories and now you live your life as Takaya Ougi, and yet you still repeat the same mistake again."

"Why is it my fault? I don't remember any of it."

"Then you should!" Chiaki lifted his weight off the fence and walked toward Yuzuru. "I have enough of this idiot. I'll see you inside." He said as he caught his friend's eyes in response and walked away.

Yuzuru let out a quiet sigh and turned around to find his other friend standing inertly. "Takaya…, I agree with Chiaki that you're making the situation harder on yourself. You are Kagetora and you know it. This doesn't change who you are, at least in my prospective, you are you. It makes no difference whether you are being address as Takaya or Kagetora."

"I know, but I just…" He couldn't accept it. For some unexplainable reason, deep down, he felt a force holding him back and burning inside of him. He took a deep breath and gripped tightly onto his shirt above his left chest as he walked toward the fence. "Can you leave me alone for a while? I need some time to think."

"Sure." Yuzuru gave his friend another pat on the shoulder and left.

Takaya remained quiet for a moment as he stared into the open space and hung his fingers in between the wires of the fence. 'Kagetora… Why can't I remember? Why did I seal off my memories? Is it because of Naoe?'

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On the way home after school, Takaya tried to block out any unpleasant thoughts of him and Naoe and concentrated in the conversation with his friends about the activities in the north. Recently, there had been many spiritual gathering in that region.

"Have you received any news from Naoe?" Yuzuru asked walking between his two friends.

"From what we know so far, Shingen is hiding somewhere in the northern region where the vengeful sprits are gathering. Naoe and Haruie are trying to see if there is any connection between the two. It's been tough for them to locate the warlord with Kousaka Danjyo skimming around the areas." Chiaki replied walking on the right side of Yuzuru.

"Shingen…?" The boy in the middle frowned.

"Yeah, a high number of samurai spirits are gathering for no reason at all. They don't usually leave their designated ground unless someone has been directing them to do so. There is a high possibility that the Takeda is behind this, but we're not certain of it yet."

"But…, isn't Shingen still weak from the last battle he has with Takaya?"

"Yeah, but remember he still has that freak, Kousaka." Takaya cut in a response as he walked his bike along the left side of Yuzuru.

"Takaya is right. Kousaka is a clever man. He may look like a creep, but you'll never know… that man has so many tricks under his sleeves." Chiaki agreed.

"Do you think the Takeda will try to possess Yuzuru's body again?" Takaya asked.

"That's always a possibility and no matter what their objectives are, Yuzuru is too important to ignore. If any warlord wants to rule the Underworld, then they will definitely either try to control him or get rid of him."

"Why? What is so important about me? I don't have any exorcism power like you guys have."

"No, but you're wrong. You have extremely great power, but it's hidden inside." Chiaki replied.

"I do?"

"Yes, but the power that you possess is still unknown. All we know is that it's powerful enough to destroy both the netherworld and this world if it was to be used improperly."

"Hey, buddy. I guess that makes you the most powerful being on earth." Takaya tried to tease his friend a little.

"Come on, don't joke like that." Yuzuru looked at his friend. "For one, I don't even know how to use it and two, all I seem to do is getting in the way. You and Chiaki have to stay here and protect me. I feel like a poor defenseless child."

"Don't say that, it's our job to protect you, not just because you're the target of every warlord, but because you're my best friend."

"I know, but…" Yuzuru looked at his friend; he could still sense some trouble seeping from his friend's expression. "Don't you have more important things to do than protecting me?"

"Like what?"

"Like getting your memories back…"

"I don't need them."

"Why not? It seems to me that all your misunderstandings and troubles arouse from your missing memories, so if there is a way to get them back, then you would be able to use your exorcism power to its fullest and maybe…"

"And maybe what?"

"Maybe you'll find out the reason why you seal off your memories and accept who you are."

The idea of getting his memories back made Takaya felt nervous, yet he managed to keep his composure and kept on walking. "If Kagetora sealed his memories, then that could only means that something happened in the past and he didn't want to remember it. I think that it's best to leave it this way. Right now protecting you is our highest priority. Like Chiaki said, you are the key to both worlds and we don't want to lose you to any lunatic that wants to rule this good for nothing Underworld."

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

The rest of the way was quiet. They arrived in front of Yuzuru's place and Takaya made way, "I'll see you guys tomorrow." He climbed onto his bike and started the engine.

Yuzuru waved as his friend disappeared into a distance. He stood there for a moment and thought about Takaya's response earlier about Kagetora's memories. He turned to Chiaki, who was still with him and asked, "What could have happened to Kagetora in his past live that would result him to seal off his memories?"

Chiaki narrowed his eyes and studied Yuzuru. He didn't respond. The reason why Kagetora sealed his memories was still a mystery to him as well. The only rational reason he could think of was Naoe, but he wasn't a hundred percent certain about that. Thirty years ago, Kagetora had left Naoe with no option, but to do what he did. Naoe was lost and he couldn't control himself. Kagetora wasn't in any better condition. The two of them didn't make any sense to him at all, yet he still worked with those two idiots for so many years.

"Chiaki? I've asked you a question."

"Man, I don't know." He replied. "Kagetora…, he's been through a lot. I don't know where to start, but I can tell you one thing. He's a troubled man."

Yuzuru guessed as much. Kagetora must had been through many difficulties for being the son of a warlord and served as a leader of the Netherworld Uesugi for four hundred years. Of course, he would had encountered many obstacles and endured many pains. "I guess being a possessor isn't much fun, huh?"

"No, if I were given a choice to start again, then I would chose to be a normal human and live a normal life without worrying about warlords taking over the world and damn vengeful spirits that wouldn't rest. In a way, I understand how Takaya feels because he has been living that life until Naoe confronts him about the Netherworld Army. Unfortunate for him, he is Kagetora and as per Kagetora, he cannot escape from his fate."

"Yeah, I understand." Yuzuru said feeling sorry for the weight that Takaya had to carry on.

"Okay, man. I have to go, too."

"Alright, I'll see you in the morning then."

Chiaki stood by as he watched his young friend entered the protection barrier that he and Takaya had created to maximize Yuzuru's safety. The purpose of the barrier was to zap away frail spirits and to give him enough time to call for help if one of the warlords or possessor ever tried to break in and abduct him for any false reason. Once the young teen entered the house, Chiaki headed home.

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It was during the middle of the night and Takaya for once was having a decent wink of sleep. Suddenly, the phone rang and woke up the sleeping boy. He eyes stalled up as he groaned, "Who the hell would call at this hour?" The phone rang again for the fifth time and he picked it up. "Hey…," He answered bleakly.

"Kagetora! I'm glad it's you." The voice at the other end of the receiver replied.

"Haruie? What's wrong?" He could hear the high pitch in her voice; she sounded like she was in a rush and out of breath.

"Yuzuru is in danger. Naoe and I are heading to his place. We need you… go to his place right now."

"I'm coming…" He immediately dropped the phone and rushed out of his bedroom. He pounded onto his sister's bedroom door and yelled at it. "Miya, I'm going out! I'll call you later!"

"Okay." She managed from her brother's disturbance and went back to sleep.

Takaya arrived and the first thing he noticed was the protection barrier was broken. How and who broke it? He quickly jumped off his bike as he caught sight of his subordinates. Naoe was throwing orange fireballs to a distance tree. Haruie maintained a protection circle and Chiaki was behind them, kneeling down. It looked like he was hurt.

"Look and here comes the master…" A voice from behind Takaya spoke.

"Kousaka! This is your doing, isn't it?" Takaya replied in an angry tone of voice.

"No, afraid not." He leered.

"Don't lie to me! Where is Yuzuru?"

"How would I know? Aren't you the one that's protecting him? I should ask you the same question."

"You bastard!" Takaya growled. "Let me send you to the other world then I don't have to deal with your skin anymore."

"No, you should watch your own skin." He mocked.

A red fireball immediately aimed at Takaya from nowhere. He had no time to cast a protection spell or to dodge it; he had to take this one on. The fireball reached it target within a second or two and a blast, "Boom!" It came in contact. The vibration of the blast withered the air as Takaya opened his eyes and to his surprise he wasn't hurt, not even a single scratch found him. He lifted his head up and stared at the body that was shielding him, "Naoe!" The man gasped and collapsed forward into his arms. "Why? You bastard! That was my hit!" He growled in disappointment. Instead of promoting the battle with his presence, he created a setback and involved one of his subordinate to get hurt. And, of all people it had to be Naoe.

"Oh my, isn't this cute? His lord and his servant mingle together." Kousaka snickered one last time as his vanished into thin air.

"Kousaka!" Takaya roared. He was pissed at the man who got him all distracted.

"Kagetora be careful, the enemy is still about." Naoe whispered as he stood up with his lord's help.

"We've got what we came for." A mysterious voice transmitted from no where.

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Takaya demanded.

"We'll meet again, very soon, Kagetora Uesugi." The voice replied and faded into the night.

"What the hell happened here? Where is Yuzuru?"

"We were too late. He was taken by the time we got here." Naoe replied between his heavy breathing.

"Who took him? Kousaka? The Takeda?" Takaya interrogated.

"Kagetora, we need to get these two somewhere so they could rest. We'll fill you in on the details later." Haruie suggested as she hauled Chiaki on her shoulders. "Where can we take them? Your house is nearby right?"

"Yeah, but I don't want to get my sister involves in these kinda stuff, so home is not an option."

"My temple. Get me there." Naoe said as he dropped on the ground and coughed. The back of his shirt was all torn from the impact earlier and Takaya was able to see through the opening; burning patches of flesh and the scars from the previous battles. Takaya took a deep breath and looked away for a moment. His eyes were sore from seeing such a nasty sight of Naoe that he had never imagined before. The man was always calm and handsome, so it had never occurred to him that he could had bear such ugly scars beneath all his rags.

"Right then, let's go. We need to attend their wounds before they get infected." Haruie dragged Chiaki into the passenger seat and Takaya handled Naoe into the back seats of the car.

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The ride to the temple took one and half hour. They arrived at the main hall and an attendant greeted them. "Young master! You're hurt!" The attendant addressed Naoe. "Please let me attend your wound." He took his master into his arms.

Naoe broke away and directed his attendant, "No, please show my guests to their rooms. I can take care of myself."

"But, you're hurt."

"I'll clean him up." Takaya volunteered. There was something different in his voice, it was a little spiteful but concerned at the same time.

Naoe was pleased to hear that as he gave his attendant a look of discontent.

"Yes, I'm sorry for the improper manners. Please follow me." The attendant bowed to his master. Then he led Haruie and Chiaki down the hallway and assisted them with their needs.

"Well, where is your room?" Takaya asked bluntly.

"This way." Naoe led the way to the opposite side of the house while leaning his arm on his lord's shoulder for support. They entered the room and he settled down on his bed.

"Where can I get some water and bandages?"

"Down the hall and to the left."

Takaya left and came back with a bowl of warm water, a washcloth and some bandages. As he walked inside the room, he could see the Naoe's glowing eyes staring straight at him. This made him felt a little nervous, but he hid his nervousness under a sturdy voice. "Take off your shirt."

Naoe unbuttoned his front coat and dropped the torn garment onto the floor. Then he did the same with the white blouse as he exposed his front chest.

The young boy stared at the man before him. He was beautiful. 'Shit! What am I thinking?' He shook off the thought and seated himself beside Naoe. "Turn around."

The older man obeyed and turned his back toward the boy.

Takaya immediately winced at the sight and gasped for air. He had forgotten about the messed up picture from before.

"I know it's ugly. Will this displease you?" Naoe asked, in a low yet calm tone of voice.

"No." He replied as he dipped the towel into the warm water and rinsed it with his hands. He applied the moist cloth onto Naoe's back and gently wiped the burnt residue. With every stroke, he examined each permanent mark on the man's flesh. He recognized these scars; they were from their previous battle where Naoe had done the same in using his body to shield him from danger. 'Why? Why do you have to risk your life to save me every time?' He pondered silently to himself. From what he understood, he knew that Naoe was affectionate to him and would protect him from any harm. Yet, he couldn't help but wondered if there was ever a chance that he was no longer the vassal of Kagetora Uesugi, than would Naoe even consider risking his life to save him, to save Takaya Ougi? Would he even be interested in another person other than his lord? "Naoe?"

"What?"

He wanted to ask, but hesitated, "Uh…, nothing." He said as he placed the towel into the dirty bowl of water and covered the injured area with the white strips of bandages. "You're done."

"Thank you."

"Excuse me, sir." The attendant slid the door opened and kneeled beside it. "Here are some clean yukatas for you and your friend. I'd set up the room next door for him as well, so he could rest there." He placed the clean clothing inside the room by the door frame.

"Thank you. You should call it a night too. We'll be fine by ourselves." Naoe replied.

"Yes sir." The attendant excused himself and closed the door.

"Who is he?" Takaya questioned as he stood up and grabbed the clean change of clothing.

"He's an assistant here at the temple. He's been working for the family for quite some time and he takes care of the temple in my absence."

"Here, I guess this one is yours." Takaya gave Naoe the larger yukata of the two. "Can you manage yourself?"

The older man took the outfit while staring into his lord's eyes. He would love to have his lord stripped and dressed him right now, but it didn't seem to be very proper of him. Even if he had suggested it, Kagetora would never grant him his wish. Why would he? He hadn't considered Naoe's feeling for four hundred years, so why would he now? "I'll manage." He said calmly.

"Good. I'll go to my room then."

"Sleep well, My Lord Kagetora." Naoe said with a slightness of life in his voice.

"You care take… and get well soon." Takaya said hesitantly as he reached the sliding door.

"Kagetora…"

"Don't get any wrong ideas! I just don't wanna see that ugly side of you again." He said as he turned around and caught a pair of dark moving eyes; they looked hurt. He gasped and held onto his breath. 'Why did I say that?' His words came cold; he had shattered the little hope that Naoe had without knowing it.

"I'll be fine." Naoe managed a response and broke the silence between them.

"Good, I'll see you tomorrow, then." At that, Takaya quickly escaped his suffocation and found his room next door. He exhaled the pressure from his inflated lung and started panting. As he regained his normal breathing he changed into the soft yukata and snuggled into bed.

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It must be no more than two hours since Takaya drifted away to sleep. His drained body was craving for nourishment, but his mind didn't allow him to rest. Once again he saw a tall and broad man was about to leave him. He was in a dark room and he found himself sitting on a futon reaching his arm up grabbing the hem of the man's kimono. The man had his back to Takaya and didn't respond. Instead, he shrugged his arm away to free the grip from the kimono and walked out. This man was cold, he didn't turn back not even once to look at Takaya in the eyes. Who was this man? Takaya wasn't able to see his face, but he could sense it in his heart. It was Naoe. It had to be him.

The man left and Takaya woke up dripping like it was a hot summer night with no air conditioning. He immediately fled his bed and found himself standing in front of Naoe's bedroom. 'Why did I come here? Is Naoe inside? Should I…?' He stood at the door for no more than five seconds; he entered the room quietly. He had to check. He had to make sure that Naoe was in that room. As he entered he shut the door behind him and quietly he walked toward the bed. A keen smile found him as he found the man in his dream sleeping soundlessly in his gray yukata. He was relieved.

"Naoe." The name slipped through his mouth as he admired the gorgeous man lying in bed. He moved in closer to take a better look at the man; he looked so vulnerable. How can someone looked so peaceful in his sleep be so sadistic and difficult to understand? He took another step and another step and before he knew it, he was touching the man's face. The man was in a deep trance; he must be worn out from his fight earlier. Something was drawing him closer and closer to the man sleeping before him; it was like an invisible magnet, too compelling to resist. He could feel his internal organ burning as he leaned closer. Soon, he was only inches away from the man's pulps and before he knew it, his lips were bracing on the other man's flesh.

Instantly at that moment, flashes of images from nowhere engulfed him. The images were weak, but the sudden streams were too much for Takaya to bear all at once. They spun in his mind and his entire body was shivering. He closed his eyes and tried to shake them off.

Naoe also felt a sudden rush of energy wave as he opened his eyes; he didn't believed what he saw above him. His Lord Kagetora was on top of him; he was leaning forward with his arms on both side of Naoe's body. The first thought came to his mind, 'This must be a dream.' He lay still to admire his lord. If this was a dream then he wanted it to last as long as it could. He thought of reaching his arms out to hold his lord, but he hesitated; he was afraid that if he had done so, then he would wake up and his lord would disappear too.

Takaya took a few seconds to let the images faded out and as he opened his eyes he caught a pair of purple dots staring at him. His heart skipped a beat. He quickly realized the position that he was in and jumped off onto his feet. At the same time he withdrew, Naoe managed to catch his arm and got up. "Naoe!" He growled while looking at the man holding onto his wrist. "Let go of me!"

"No." The taller man replied boldly as he stepped in closer to his lord. He didn't care whether this was a dream or reality anymore; it didn't matter to him. The only thing that mattered to him right now was the person standing in front of him.

"Let me go!" The young lord demanded again, still strong and resisting.

"Lord Kagetora." Naoe held on tight.

"I'm not Kagetora!" He tried to escape Naoe's grasp, but instead of freeing his captured wrist, his other wrist was also taken. "Naoe, what do you think you're doing?"

Naoe looked straight into the young boy's sharp eyes. "Kagetora…, it's you who have done this to me: your game, your love and your lust. It's you; you've been playing with me for four hundred years, depriving me of the one thing I desire most."

"What are you talking about?" Takaya tried to pull away, but the older man gripped on harder and pulled him into an embrace.

He held onto the young body tightly as he inhaled his misery. "Why do you have to be so damn stubborn? You treat me like a toy. You play with me whenever you want and then dispose of me whenever you're done. I guess this serve me right; I am a merely servant to you, to serve you and to give you everything, but not to expect anything in return. What more can a man give you? How many more years do you need me to serve and obey? When will you forgive me for my mistakes so long ago? Is a possessor no longer considered to be human? Am I such a meaningless soul that you will not release me of your torment?" Naoe was trembling; he afraid of Kagetora. What would he say? What would he do?

'Naoe…' Takaya could feel his heart racing against the other man's chest. He could hear every word echoed as the man breathed and his calm voice spoke with much bitterness. He peeked up to see the older man's eyes; they looked painful. Why? Was he the cause of this man suffering? No, it wasn't him; it was Kagetora not him, but was there even a difference? He could sense resentment seeping from inside of him. He couldn't help but wondered. Did this feeling surfaced because he was to become Kagetora? Why did Kagetora torture this man? No, why did HE torment this man? He couldn't remember and he didn't want to remember.

"I'm not going to let you go." Naoe continued as he gently placed a kiss on Takaya's black bang and rested his head on his lord's shoulder. "You had given me too much baggage to let go. The same way that you're not going to let me go; I will never be able to let you go. You're mine Kagetora… You're all mine…" He grabbed his lord's yukata and loosened it from the shoulders. Then he started kissing his lord, little by little, from his shoulder up to the side of his neck and sucked on his earlobe.

The younger boy closed his eyes and kept quiet. He knew that if he opened his mouth; he would shatter this moment. He had decided a month ago that he would surrender. He wanted to surrender to Naoe whether it was to his passion or to his wrath; he didn't care anymore. All the dreams that he had of Naoe leaving him, had taunted him for a while. He didn't know why, maybe it was a part of Kagetora's memories or it was he, Takaya who didn't want Naoe to leave him. Right now, at this moment all he wanted was for Naoe to hold him, just like this, to be in his arms, to be protected in his big and secure wings. "Naoe." The name slipped through his lips once more yet softly and in a pleasing way.

Takaya without noticing what he was doing so, he arched his head up to give Naoe more access. The older man continued to kiss the boy, trailing his way along the lining of the boy's face as he tongued his way down from the tip of the boy's chin to the hollow indent of the boy's neck. He slid his hand into the boy's yukata, brushed it over the boy's nipple and felt the firmness of the boy's abdominal muscle along his waist line. Soon the yukata was hanging from the boy's hip and exposing the upper part of the boy's body.

'This must be a dream.' Naoe thought as he admired the young body and felt the tenderness cupping under his hands. 'This is not real.' He continued; his Lord Kagetora would never submit to him this easily. 'This has to be a dream…, but I don't care.' He continued to mark his lord's body. Now his head was right on top of his lord's chest. "Naoe…, no…" The boy whispered as Naoe got aggressive, seeing the lust seeping from his lord's eyes; he turned the boy over and laid him flat on his back with his knees hanging from the edge of the bed and toes touching the hardwood floor. He stood silently, mesmerized by his lord's beauty as he leaned forward and brushed off the strands of hair that was covering his lord's gorgeous face. "You're beautiful." He said as he clashed their lips together and held his lord's chin firmly in his hand.

Naoe's compliment triggered something deep inside Takaya. He didn't know what it was, but it opened a channel in his head and attacked him with shock waves of unwanted emotions.

Honor.

He ignored this as Naoe pressed against his body. The man continued to kiss him, tasting his soft lips and feeding a slick tongue into his mouth.

Shame.

His body shivered. This one he couldn't ignore; his body wouldn't allow him to. It squirmed by itself, trying to get away, but Naoe secured it tightly and retreated lower to his chest.

"Don't deny me of this… not now…" Naoe said as he continued to caress the boy's standing nipples.

Takaya tried to withhold the pain, but the pain was growing stronger as Naoe progressed faster. He could feel the man's breathing slithering down as hot air past his navel and his body burned.

Death.

The boy immediately arched his chest up and gasped for air. Something had just shot him right through his heart. He felt numb. He felt revolted. He felt his entire body was drained out and all that was left of him was a lifeless corpse.

Right at this moment, Naoe pulled off the remaining of the yukata and let it fell beneath his lord's feet. He glided his hand from the knee, onto the thigh and inward toward his lord's growing fruit.

Love.

Rejuvenation. For a brief moment, the boy felt a big pair of wings embracing him, protecting him from his agony and gently reviving him from his death. Soon, this feeling shattered as Naoe swallowed his hardness.

Betrayal.

"No…!" The boy growled as he tried to withdraw, but Naoe leeched on. He continued his suction forcing the boy to leak with every stroke. The boy couldn't control himself any longer; the feeling of disloyalty, unfaithfulness and treachery shock him over and over every time Naoe slid his hungry mouth in and out. He couldn't tell whether it was pleasure or pain that was eating him. All the components that sum up to Naoe betraying him was too much for him to swallow. He couldn't take it anymore. "Stop! I don't want this! Get off me!" He whimpered as he kicked the man off him.

Naoe fell onto his buttock as he observed the frantic boy. He didn't understand. Why would Kagetora refuse him? Wasn't this his dream? "What's wrong? Your body was responding to me, I could tell that you liked it."

"No, I don't! I don't like this!" He cried.

"You're toying with me again. Don't do this me!" Naoe breathed as he pulled himself up and approached the boy.

"No! Stay away! Stay away from me!" Takaya screamed as he ignited a powerful barrier and blasted Naoe strongly across the room. The man dropped onto the floor and lay unconsciously. He quickly grabbed his yukata and put it back on. He gripped tightly on to the front of his outfit and walked up to the body across the room. "Why?" He heaved a sigh as he looked at the harmless man below. He was about to give in and let Naoe do whatever he wanted, but the emotions that flooded through him were too strong. They didn't belong to him; they must belong to Kagetora. Whatever they were, they were significant enough to create a wall between him and Naoe. "What happened between you and Kagetora?"

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**End of Chapter **

Smile: I'll update as soon as I can.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

Morning found its way around the corner and lit up the temple with its radiant ray of life. Birds were chirping nearby as the gentle wind showered the branches and rattled the leaves as they twirled vividly and colored Mother Earth one last time before they returned back to where they came from. New lives shall begin once more as they buried into the earth and fertilized the cycle of nature.

As morning announced its arrival, the bell within the temple rang declaring a new day had begun: Dong. Dong. Dong.

The ringing sound echoed through out the entire temple. It continued to ring as Takaya tiredly blinked and pulled his narrow lids open. "Hgh…!" He groaned. "Where am I?" As his vision became clearer he realized where he was, but the weight of his head and soreness of his body immobilized his limps from moving. He quickly dropped his head back into the pillow and before he knew it; he fell back to sleep.

It must have been around noon time when someone came to wake up the sleeping boy. "Takaya." A husky voice called to him. "Takaya, wake up!"

"Naoe?" With no effort, the name automatically returned in response to the male's voice.

"Wake up, you idiot!"

Takaya slowly opened his exhausted brown jewels. He focused them at the person who was yanking him up by the front opening of his white yukata. "Chiaki?"

"Man! Finally! What's wrong with you? It looks like you haven't been sleeping for days. I don't recall you getting hurt last night." Chiaki released the sleeping boy as he drew in a full breath and sighed. "This is pitiful!" He dropped his ass down right beside Takaya in disappointment. "How are we going to save Yuzuru with a half dead leader like you?"

A frown found Takaya, but he was too worn-out to respond or get mad at the aggravating boy. True, he wasn't hurt from the battle last night, at least not physically, but the sight of Naoe's shielding him was far more painful than he was to get hurt himself. He felt his chest suffocated as the thought of Naoe and the sight of the man's wounds from last night revisited him. As the throbbing feeling in his head decreased, he remembered the weird dream that he had last night; the dream of Naoe leaving him and he found himself being the subject of the man's desire. 'Was that really a dream?' He asked himself. It felt too real to be just a dream, but in his fatigue condition he couldn't think straight anymore. He pulled his limps up while cupping his forehead in his hand. He waited for a moment longer to let the pain in his head lessen then he asked the boy sitting at the end on edge of his bed. "What happened?"

"Hmm?"

"What happened last night? I thought that you were hurt. Why are you here looking all well and so irritated?" Takaya asked managing a level voice.

"I was just knocked out for a moment when the enemy abducted Yuzuru. I guessed they had figured it out that if they confined my powers, then the protection barrier that we cast would break down easier, which they did. I was so careless! When Yuzuru called me and said that he sensed disturbing essence approaching his house, I was too concerned about him to notice that Ranmaru and his followers were waiting for me."

"Ranmaru?" Confusion seeped through Takaya's voice as he stroked the palm from his forehead and landed it firmly onto the cushion beneath him.

"Yeah."

"So you're saying that the Oda clan has kidnapped Yuzuru? Then why was Kousaka there? What purpose did he have for being there if he wasn't after Yuzuru?"

"I know don't the entire story behind Yuzuru's kidnap, but Haruie will be able to explain that to you. She'll be here shortly after she assists Naoe's spirit."

"Naoe?" Takaya's voice softened as he spoke that name. "What's wrong with him? What do you mean by assisting his spirit?"

"He's unconscious. Haruie is trying to sense the strength of his spirit to make sure that he's okay. It was very strange when we found him lying in his bed this morning. It appeared that something had dampened his soul. The impact from last night shouldn't have caused this. Haruie was able to cast a quick protection spell right before the torching fireball smashed into him, so he didn't suffer any major wounds. Despite of our human vassal, we possessors have strong life-forces that help us heal faster than normal human. Naoe's wounds should have healed by now. Another thing that I'd noticed was the turmoil in his room. All the books from his shelves were on the floor. I wonder what could have happened."

Takaya's eyes shot right open and his vision failed him at this instant; he looked straight through the blonde boy sitting in front him as if he was not even there. The vague moment with Naoe from last night came back to him. 'So, it was not a dream.' He began to remember his submission and the foreign feelings which ran through his mind as Naoe attended his body eagerly, yet tenderly at the same time. He also remembered about the blast, which he sent Naoe across the room and caused the turmoil that Chiaki had just mentioned. How did he shield himself so quickly without any effort? He generated a circle of blue and purple flames; the flames sizzled at Naoe's contact which caused the outer ring to instantly explode as it sent the invader flying high. It appeared to be a protection spell that could be use for both defensive and offensive purposes. It was a spell that he had never seen before. It must be one of Kagetora's hidden skills? How did he manage to pull it off? He couldn't remember, but at this moment he realized that this must had been the cause of Naoe's unconsciousness.

Takaya's reaction caught Chiaki by surprise as he observed the petrified boy with acute eyes. "Do you know what happen? You must have heard something like noises from the fallen books."

Takaya remained silence. 'Should I tell him? Tell him about the blast.'

Haruie came in at this moment and broke the ice. "Kagetora!" The two boys turned their attention to her as she stormed in and hugged Takaya tightly against her soft bouncy chest.

He groaned and pushed her off as he bent his legs over the edge of his bed. "How is Naoe?" He asked feeling discomfort seeping from his voice.

"He'll be fine in a few days. I manage to wake him up. His spirit is strong." She heaved a sigh of relief. "I wonder what could have put him in such a deep sleep. It almost looked like his soul was about to part from his body when Chiaki and I found him this morning." She turned her attention to Chiaki. "Do you think that the impact from last night involves a chi separator spell? You know like the one that Kagetora… has."

"What are you talking about? What is a chi separator? Tell me!" Takaya wanted to understand the importance of this power and was it the power that he displayed last night.

"Oh, Kagetora." Haruie shifted her attention back to her lord and replied. "I've almost forgot. This is no surprise that you don't know about it yet. A chi separator is a power that only a few possessors can successfully perform without an incantation spell. It a spiritual spell that can parts a soul from one body and transfers it to another body like the one that Naoe has. It can also zap a soul from its body instantly and send it to the other world, in other words exorcise them immediately. Naoe can only transfer soul from one being to another; he cannot annihilate any soul with his limited power, to be able to do that you have to be a possessor with extremely high abilities. The only one that we know that would be able to acquire such power is… you, Kagetora, but since you have no knowledge of it yet, I don't think that you can use it. The other possessors that may also have this power are Oda Nobunaga and Lord Masamune of the Date clan."

'Did I somehow manage to use that power last night? Does that means that I was about to zap Naoe away for good?' Takaya thought with much confusion. He didn't want that; he would never want that.

Haruie examined the expressionless boy while he was lost in his train of thoughts. "Kagetora? Are you okay?"

"You know… I think he knows something and he's hiding it from us. Did you notice the mess in Naoe's room earlier?" Chiaki asked Haruie.

"Yes, Sugiro, the attendant from last night and several other monks are cleaning it up. Um…, with Naoe in his condition, how could he have managed to make such a huge mess?"

"I think Takaya here knows what happened." Chiaki leered as he looked at the boy in question.

"Kagetora?" Haruie narrowed her eyes seeking for an answer.

"I…" Takaya delayed his response for a moment to give it some careful thought.

Seeing Takaya's reluctance, Haruie decided to make him more comfortable. "Chiaki, do you mind stepping out for a while? Let me deal with Kagetora. I'll feed you the details later." She whispered to his ear.

Chiaki didn't reply; he heaved a heavy sigh as he looked at Takaya, 'Idiot.' With that thought in mind, he left the interrogator to do her job.

"Takaya." Haruie addressed him differently, knowing that he was more at ease when people use this name. She pulled out a seat from the round table in the room and sat down facing him. "Would you be able to tell me what happened to Naoe? I mean if you know anything that is."

Takaya had always been more relaxed with Haruie. She was more reasonable to talk to than that jack-ass Chiaki, yet even before Chiaki left, he had decided to talk to them. He needed to find out the depth and details of what had happened last night with Naoe. "Naoe and I had a conflict last night."

"A conflict? What kind of a conflict? Do you mean a fight?" She asked calmly.

"No, not really, but whatever happened; it happened so quickly that I didn't understand why? Naoe and I, we were… you know… a little intimate at that moment." Takaya looked away to hide his flushing cheeks. "Then, images… no, feelings… unknown feelings from nowhere ran through me like sharp needles twisting into my flesh and bone. These feelings were getting stronger as I got closer to Naoe, then when I couldn't control the pain anymore I blasted out a circle of blue and purple flames."

"Did you just say a blue and purple circle of flames?"

"Yes, it automatically generated by itself when Naoe tried to approach me."

"Then, that explains why Naoe is in his condition right now. From what you've just said, it seems that you're able to pull off the chi separator spell, but not to its full aptitude, therefore Naoe is still with us. If you were to execute it with its full power, then Naoe would be a goner by now."

"But, I don't have Kagetora's memories, so how was I able to pull it off?"

"Could you explain to me the feeling or pain that you'd right before the spell went off?"

"I don't know. It almost felt like I wasn't myself at that moment, like someone else took control of my body."

"And Naoe was with you when this all happened?"

Takaya nodded.

Haruie took a moment to think. "Maybe…, Kagetora memories are coming back to you. From what I've heard so far, it seems that getting closer to Naoe helps you remember your memories."

"But, why did they feel so painful? Was I… no, Kagetora a man with much misery and pain? Why would he or I or… oh, shit! I cannot think straight anymore! If I am Kagetora, then what happened between Naoe and I in the past that would result me hating him so much?" Takaya looked to at Haruie for an answer. His eyes filmed as if they were about the shed tears. The thought of him hating Naoe enough to sentence him to death was killing him inside. "I would never want to kill him! No! Not me!" He couldn't control his tears anymore as he let them fell freely. "I want him. I want to be with him, but if I were to cause another blow like that then I'll kill him."

"Takaya." Haruie ran forward and held the sobbing boy in her arms. "It's okay. He loves you. You know that right?"

Of course, he knew that, but to what extend he didn't know. There was something very dormant about his relationship with Naoe and he needed to understand it. Those feelings that he experienced last night, if it weren't for them, then he and Naoe would become one. The thought of becoming one with Naoe somehow gave Takaya a warm feeling inside of him, like he found peace. Yet, whatever those feelings were, they were too intense for him to ignore. If getting closer to Naoe meant that he had to experience more of these unknown entities then he must know why they existed. He must learned their origin and if that meant that he had to regain Kagetora's memories to be able to control himself and the unknown power that he possessed then he would do whatever it takes to be in control.

After a long silence, he calmed down and remembered that he had other important issues to address. The thing between him and Naoe could wait.

Takaya shook away his tears and detached from Haruie. "We need to get a plan together to save Yuzuru while Naoe is recovering." He managed through his dried voice.

"Yes, we need all four of us to pull off this task. The Oda clan is strong and we need all the help we can get."

"So, it's true that Ranmaru has taken Yuzuru?"

"Yes."

"What about Kousaka and the Takeda clan? Weren't they after Yuzuru, too?"

"Yes, but…"

"But what?"

"Their clan was destroyed."

"No way! How can this be?"

"The only survivor from their clan is Kousaka."

"How could that be possible?" Takaya was still in denial. He had always known that one day, he would face Shingen again and exorcise him, but learning that he and his army were destroyed put him in shock.

"Within the last month, at first it appeared that Shingen was behind the spiritual gathering in the north, but just last week, we found out that Oda was behind it. He gathered all the samurai warriors there with one purpose in mind; to destroy Shingen. Shingen was still recovering from the last battle that he had with you, therefore he wasn't able to fight back. Without Shingen's power, the Takeda army was useless."

"That's a shame, but what about Kousaka. Where was he when this happened?"

"I don't know, where ever he was, he must had been scheming something that involved using Yuzuru. We met him after the damages were done and he was the one that warned us about Ranmaru's intention. I should have called you earlier when we learned about the Ranmaru's plan for kidnapping Yuzuru. We were so worried that it slipped our mind. I'm so sorry."

Takaya said nothing to her last comment; what was done was done. "And, Kousaka… I guess he tags along for the amusement." He sneered.

"Well, he said that he'll give us a hand, but you know him; we could never trust him. We didn't have any time to argue, so we just went along with it. That bastard! You saw him last night; he didn't do a damn thing!"

"Hell! He didn't!"

"Now that we agree to let Naoe recovers." Haruie warmly sent Takaya a smile. "My Lord Kagetora, you should rest too. We need your power the most to save Yuzuru. Meanwhile, you should also think of a plan."

"Yeah." He agreed.

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**End of Chapter **

Smile: Sorry, it took me a while to update; I got a bit sidetrack. I'm still new with this writing stuff, so please pardon my grammatical errors, typos and misspellings. Another thing that I should mention is Sugiro (the attendant); I kinda made up this character and he shouldn't play any major part in the story or at least not at the moment.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 **

During the time that Takaya allowed Naoe to recover, he and Chiaki did some investigation; they found that Ranmaru had taken the kidnap boy somewhere into the Kanto region. The Kanto region consisted of many cities, Tokyo was one of them. The other cities were Yokohama, Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone, Kawagoe, Kusatsu, and so on. They had narrowed the possibilities down to Tokyo, the capitol of Japan. Oda was known for being a preposterous man; he would most likely want to control from the central of Japan and expand his power from there.

Once they had confirmed that all the sources were correct; they gathered together in the lecture hall of the temple to come up with a plan to save Yuzuru. They discussed many possibilities, but with their team of four, they were a little short handed. The plan which they all agreed on was for them to split up into two groups.

Haruie and Chiaki headed off first to seek help from Lord Masamune of the Date clan. Whether or not they were able to seek help; they agreed to meet up with the rest of their team in Tokyo in three days.

The other team departed on the same day.

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Naoe and Takaya searched the most obvious places in Tokyo, but after two consecutive days of running around, there wasn't any sign or clue of the missing boy. It was as if he disappeared from earth completely and no one had ever seen him.

"Where the bloody-hell do you think that Ranmaru has hidden Yuzuru?" The frustrated boy asked his partner as he dropped his exhausted body onto the comfort of the mattress in his room.

Naoe found a seat on his bed which was parallel to his lord's bed. At the time that they arrived at the hotel, the only room available was a two beds suite. He sat there calmly admiring his lord while the boy continued his babbling.

"We searched everywhere that we could think of, but there wasn't anything suspicious activity around Edo Castle nor was there anything around those dead and boring temples. Is there anywhere else that we've overlooked? Man! Yuzuru has been detained for a week now. Do you think that he's okay?"

"Yuzuru is a being with high abilities. With this factor, they will be wise not to get rid of him." Naoe replied as he continued to stare at the long slender body lying in front of him. His young lord was wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of tight blue jean. With his hands crossed behind his head, the t-shirt was pulled up a little exposing a strip of skin above his navel's area. Naoe stared at the displayed navel and found it very intruding.

"Of course, they won't get rid of him!" Takaya exclaimed as he turned onto his side and looked through the window that was located closer to his bed. He wasn't afraid of Oda getting rid of Yuzuru because he knew that that wouldn't happen. If anything did happened, Oda would most likely control Yuzuru and force him to do bad things like killing other people or worst to kill Takaya, then he and his best friend would have to battle against each another. He ran his fingers into his hair and sighed. "We're getting no where with this!"

"Haruie and Chiaki should be here tomorrow." Naoe spoke to his lord's back.

"Do you think that they're able to seek help from the Date?"

"Yes. If Oda were to overpower the Underworld, then his next conquer will be earth. The Dates are justice people; they will never allow this to happen, therefore they will be in our favor." Naoe controlled his voice. The sight of his Takaya's back facing him with dark bared skin in plain view, from his bony hip running down along the hem of his t-shirt caused Naoe to desiccate. His merely wet tongue met his lips as he swallowed down his desire; he bit down on his lower pulp and closed his eyes hoping for the growing temptation to cool off. Instead of cooling off, it did the opposite. His dream with Takaya revisited him. Due to the state that he was in at the time, after his injuries were healed; he had forgotten about the affair with Takaya that one night. It was a blur to him. For him, it was just a dream, a dream that was too good to be true. Since he had no conscience if it did in fact happened and Takaya had never mentioned anything about it; he had filed it as a dream. Right now, images of Takaya's in his white yukata stripped down to his feet made Naoe winked as he felt feverish and his growing desire inflamed beneath his belt.

Takaya could feel the heat simulating inside the room. Though he couldn't see Naoe in his position, but somehow he felt the older man eyeing him from behind. It wasn't a good idea to share a room with a man who was obsessed with him, but he didn't have any choice. Last night, they were able to get separate rooms, but tonight after their long search, this hotel was the only one they found with vacancy. 'Oh man! This is awkward.' He fought hard, trying to think of something else to distract him from thinking of the man behind him. 'It's not working.' The more he resisted the more he wondered what Naoe was up to. After he sweated it for a few minutes, he decided to confront the man. He turned a 180 over and caught the man's purple eyes. 'Shit! He's staring at me!' Takaya knew that Naoe was looking at him, but he didn't expect to see Naoe's eyes seeping so much lust. He didn't know how to handle this situation. Of course, he knew exactly what Naoe wanted, but was he ready for it. Even if he was ready to couple with Naoe, would he be blasting uncontrollable spell and cause Naoe more damages? As they continued to stare in each other's eyes, Takaya's sharp glare soon softened and a small gasp quickly filled his lungs and emptied his body instantly as he looked away to hide his frustration.

Naoe also drew in a breath as soon as his lord looked away to the corner of the room. He managed to halt whatever that was escalating under his skin and kept his sanity, "You should rest. We have a long day ahead of us."

Those words eased the troubled boy as he gently peeked back, "Yeah, you're right." He agreed and rolled back down onto his side. His back was facing Naoe again; he couldn't face the man, at least not at the moment. He knew that one day very soon he had to confront the man whom sworn to protect him at all cost. Yet, the question still remained, when? When would he have courage to tell the man? When would he be able to fully understand his past and control his future? When could he bury his arrogance and admit that he wanted to be mutual with the man?

As Takaya lay in bed, thoughts of such nature prolonged and became nuisance; they carried on and wouldn't depart his mind. He tried to bury his head under his cover to avoid Naoe from see him stressing out. Under the blanket, his warmth spread, his body heated and his breathing got hotter. He could feel his skin getting moist and the creases of his arms and legs were getting sticky from his perspiration. "Hgh!" He groaned as he pulled off the blanket and stormed into the bathroom. "I can't deal with this!" He cried to himself as he dropped down onto his buns against the bathroom's door. Being in the same room with Naoe was too much for him to handle. He was flustering. Now that he recognized his feelings for Naoe, he wanted to be with the man, but he also wanted to keep his distance so that he wouldn't hurt the man. It was easier to deal with Naoe during the day when his mind was occupied with Yuzuru, but right now his mind was occupied with only Naoe.

"Naoe." He cried the man's name softly to the dim light that lit the bathroom. The dark lighting in the room somehow helped the boy to ease a little. As he leveled his head back down, he saw the shower. A shower he thought. A shower would refresh his mind or at least cool off the heat that was circulating around, in and on him.

Naoe wasn't able to rest either; especially with his lord just a few steps away from him. The room was getting darker and colder as the night progressed. Strange things, unexplainable things often lurked out and occurred in the dark and coldest nights. Autumn nights could be cold sometimes, but tonight, the low temperature of the room was ignored by the growing climate of the two sleepless men. Heat was the only sustain that was being acknowledged. Naoe felt his wanting grew every second as the thought of his lord becoming vulnerable crossed his filthy mind. He wanted to hold his lord in his arms. He wanted to touch and feel the body that once loved him in return. He wanted so much, so much more than just holding and touching.

He could hear the shower running, drumming a rhythm in his head. As he allowed his weary eyes to relax, the sound of water took him back to one gloomy night over four hundred years ago. It was a cold and wet night; the night that drew him closer to his lord. It was also the night that had driven him to be the man that he became today. His destiny, his life and his everything was refined under that pounding rain that night. He could never forget the vision that broke his heart; the sight of his lord on the verge of death: Pale skin, sad eyes and trembling body. As he stood by and witnessed his lord's suffering, he found himself drowning in pain. The rain also cried hard and loud that night; it covered every inch of his body as well as his lord. As the images of his lord's young and misery soul soaked deeper into his mind; he found an unexplainable urge, gravity pulled him closer to the dripping body in front of him. He held onto the body and secured it from harm. He cradled his lord into his warmth and admired the boy's beauty. That night so long ago, he was everything to his lord. This thought painted a small smile on his face.

Takaya came out of the shower in his wet hair and Naoe immediately stared at the boy. The sight of the boy's hair pulled down by the weight of water was striking; it was as beautiful as the night that he fell in love. The picture of his lord standing gorgeously in front of him; his lord was so close and within his reach, but at the same time unreachable. Looking at his lord now, he felt as if a sharp knife was smiling its blade on the skin of his throat. He felt his heart throbbing in pain as his desire rose, but the invisible blade prevented him from reaching his lord. His lord was the source of his mad desire, but his lord was also the blade of his hesitation. If he could have one wish; he wished to go back in time and fix every mistake that he made. If they were fixed, then he would be able to take back the one lost that he regretted the most: The trust that he shoved away.

Takaya was under a frozen spell. He was a bit baffled to find Naoe still awake. After a moment of intense eye contact, he noticed that Naoe's eyes were different. They looked sad, but under that sadness they glowed distinctively in the dark like eyes of a wolf; a hungry animal that was ready to catch its prey. "What's wrong? Did I wake you?" He asked boldly.

After much debate, Naoe could no longer lie in bed and allow his thoughts to continue. If they were to continue, then he might do something that he would utterly regret again. He sat up and found his jacket. He drew out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Right now some fresh air and nicotine would neutralize his hungry. He lifted his weight off the bed and headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I need a smoke." He replied, but didn't look back to notice Takaya's panicking expression.

Takaya couldn't say another word. Naoe left the room before he was able to say anything else. He found his heart ached as Naoe closed the door behind him. He stood there for a while to let the image of Naoe's leaving him to sink in. "Jerk!" He cursed at the closed door. Then he turned around to find the window sill and pulled up the curtains. He found Naoe smoking nearby the front lobby of the hotel. He took in another breath and dropped the curtains back down. "He's still here with me." Relieved to find the man was still with him; he snuggled back in bed and pondered his thoughts about the man outside. "What's wrong with him? Did I do something to upset him?" Soon, with no effort, he slept.

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"NAOE!"

A loud scream woke up the light sleeper, "Kagetora?" Naoe sat up and found his lord sleeping, coverless in bed.

"Why? I need you." Takaya cried hugging his arms around his chest.

"You need me?" Naoe was surprised to hear that comment coming from Kagetora. He immediately found himself kneeling down by the side of his lord's bed.

"Na-o-oe." The sleeping voice shuddered in its trance.

"I'm here." Naoe said trying to comfort his lord. He saw the trembling body, but didn't know what to do. He could tell that his lord was dreaming and from the sound of his broken voice, it must be a bad dream. He looked at the boy's trembling body and wondered what kind of dream was displaying in his lord's sleep. Should he wake up his lord from his nightmare? How could he help his lord's from shaking? He stood up and pulled the blanket up to cover his lord's body. As the blanket met his lord's neck, he leaned forward and placed a soft chaste kiss on his lord's lips; the trembling stopped.

When Naoe pulled away and was about to settle back into his bed; his lord screamed again, "Don't leave me!" Naoe immediately turned back to his lord, "Kagetora?"

The young lord struggled in bed, "No! NO!" He continued to cry.

Naoe couldn't take it anymore. He advanced to the crying boy and held him into his arms. "Kagetora, wake up." He shook the body gently.

Takaya gradually opened his eyes, "Naoe?" His arms instantly clung onto the warm body that was holding him.

"Are you okay?" Naoe asked, but the boy didn't respond, instead the boy snuggled closer to his chest. Naoe wasn't sure if his lord was still dreaming or if he was awake, but it didn't really matter because right now at this moment, his lord was holding him. The comfort in these arms equaled an infinite bliss.

Takaya could feel his center beating hard and fast. His skin was vibrating underneath his cloths due to the hasty breathing which caused by his sudden wake. He knew that he had just wake up from another dream. Why was he dreaming when Naoe was with him? He gripped tighter to the back of Naoe's shirt and inhaled his scent. He knew why. He wanted to know more about the man whom had loved him for over 400 years. He wanted to understand the reason why their relationship lingered on for so long. Why couldn't they find resolution? Whatever happened in the past, it should have been resolved by now, why didn't it? Was it true that he was the source that held it back? Naoe said it before that Kagetora was the one that caused him all the pain and suffering that he had to endure over these four centuries. Chiaki also said the same thing once that Kagetora didn't accept his fault; therefore he could never find a solution to his troubled relationship with Naoe.

Takaya had slowly, yet accepted his fate; he recognized that he was Kagetora. As he accepted his name, he also accepted Naoe. In fact, the need to be with Naoe was more important to him than getting back the title and powers that he was bestowed on him so long ago. He tilted his head back a little and peeked up to see the Naoe. He wanted to see what kind of expression Naoe was wearing right now while holding onto him. He found the same expression from the other night when they were together. 'Why does he always look so sad?' The man's eyes were creased tightly together, his brows wrinkled from the center forming two straight lines above his eyes. 'Why? If loving me give you so much pain, then why do you continue to love me?'

"Is it that painful to hold me?" Takaya asked, still staring at the fidget expression of the older man's face.

Naoe opened them, "No." He replied right away through a calm and level voice. After his response, he released his grip, but his lord held him back.

"Kagetora?"

Takaya could hear confusion seeped through the man's voice this time. "I want you to hold me for the rest of the night."

"…" Disbelief was written all over Naoe's face.

"This is an order! Whether you like it or not, you're obligated to fulfill my wish." Takaya didn't want to give Naoe any choice in the matter; he shut the man off before anymore language was used. He knew that his words were harsh, but he didn't know how to express his feeling otherwise. He couldn't come to say those three words, not yet, not until he grasped the whole picture of their relationship, not until he could control his power and not until he felt the time was right.

Naoe drew in a breath of relief. He was confused, yet happy at the same time. He wasn't offended by the order and he didn't care to question it either. He laid his lord back down while admiring the boy's dark eyes focusing on him. Those eyes continued to stare at him and didn't look away. 'Why is he looking at me like this?' Naoe asked himself. Kagetora's look displayed so much desire and love. 'Love? No, it couldn't be. He had buried that emotion long ago.'

Naoe collected his hands from beneath his lord's head and torso. He looked at the boy for another second then finally looked away to find ground on the small bed. He lay onto his side and his entire length was practically touching, pressing against the side of his lord's body due to the small mattress.

Takaya turned onto his side and circled his arms around and underneath Naoe's arm. 'This is nice.' He thought to himself and rested his head against the Naoe's chest once more.

Naoe was speechless, he couldn't describe his feeling. All he could think of was holding onto his lord. He and his lord were arms in arms. He wished that this moment could last forever and for what he knew, this moment was probably just another illusion that he wanted to see in his dream. Tomorrow when he woke up, reality would hit him.

They slept.

Tomorrow came.

Naoe opened his heavy lids. "Kagetora?" He found his lord sleeping in his arms. "It wasn't a dream. Last night…, was not a mirage."

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**End of Chapter **

Smile: This story is harder to write than I thought. The science between these two is too hard to capture. Do you think that I'm doing okay so far? Let me know, okay? Your opinion helps! I'll try to update once a week if possible, but no later than two weeks, I hope. And, don't hate me if I can't because life happens and I don't want to stress too much over it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

Naoe lay quietly admiring his lord, words could not describe his inner most feelings. His lord was in a trance of tranquility. There were no sign of frustration, violent or hierarchy that he had to wear while sleeping. He was he. He was just a boy, yet he was also the existence that drove Naoe to live the wretched immortal life that he was living today and maybe for the rest of eternity. While admiring the boy, Naoe ran his fingers into the boy's hair, moving away the black threads that were covering the boy's cheek to get a better view of the boy's face. As he already knew, Takaya was handsome. The most attractive feature that Takaya had was his narrow eyes. No matter which form or body Kagetora took, his eyes were always the same. Takaya wore the same intensity beneath his dark eyes; it made them irresistible yet complex at the same time. Those sharp, fierce tiger's eyes had never fail to amuse Naoe, to probe him and to agitate him, making him reached his climax and howled like a wolf in a deserted night, craving for attention and salvation, but never found satisfaction. These eyes of Takaya were slightly different. They maintained the same amount of force and strength, but they seeped intimacy; the amount was slim, but enough to reveal a sign of change.

The Kagetora whom he had known in the past had never given him any hope. During the last 400 years, although he played a servant by his master's side; he was never satisfied. He was able to see Kagetora, to obey Kagetora, to please Kagetora, but never to have Kagetora. He had faithfully tried to accept his fate, to repent for his wrong doing and to ask for forgiveness. Many times he had tried to approach Kagetora, to explain how he felt and why he did what he had done so long ago, but every time he found himself a step closer, Kagetora somehow managed to push him two steps back. Kagetora had held a tight wall between them and whether or not, he purposely did it, it hurt; it had eaten every nerve of Naoe to hold his ground and when he couldn't control himself, he reacted like a mad man, deliberately defied his lord and force his back way in. Kagetora was cold and no matter how hard Naoe tried; he couldn't open nor heal a heart that refused to forgive.

The present Kagetora had changed to some extent due to the missing memories of his past. He was still as stubborn as Naoe could ever remember him, but in his current form, he didn't wear as much as a straight and indecipherable face that he'd usually displayed. In his current state, he was easily annoyed and ticked off, but at least he showed his anger. Often times, Naoe looked at Takaya and thought that it would be better to have him remain this way. This way, his lord had nothing to hold back, no grudge and no memories of all the pain that he had given him. This way, he could easily approach his lord and let his words be heard. This way, he could love and protect his lord like once before. Yet, this was all a dream. Eventually, Takaya would regain his memories of Kagetora and when that day comes, Kagetora would once again despise him.

The thought of an abyss of torture and loneliness awaited for him when Kagetora regained his memories killed the little contentment that he had right now. He held tighter to the body in his arms. As he continued to indulge his vision with his lord's peaceful essence, a flame torched inside of him, creating a vacuum, sucking him closer to the sleeping body. His nose was only an inch away and he could feel his own breathing bouncing back to his face. For 400 years, he had waited to hold his lord and now that he had his lord in his arms, he still wasn't satisfied. How could he be satisfied? He had been starving for too long. He had always tried to control himself, yet many times, he lost his common sense and dignity due to his starvation. The presence of Kagetora had always impelled the wolf in him, forcing him to drive closer and tempting him to eat his prey whole. He became foolish around his lord, demanding for a forbidden affection which he called 'love'.

"Kagetora…" Naoe held his position, inhaling every breath of his and his lord. Being so close now, if he could just move an inch closer; he would be able to taste his lord. Uncertainty took over his mind, 'Should I? What if…?' He squeezed his eyes together at the thought of that 'what if' statement. Per every action that he had taken in the past, Kagetora had grown to despise him even more. There was nothing left for him to lose; he should take advantage of his lord's current position and gambled every moment he got.

He gambled.

A warm touch immediately found Takaya's lips. The boy gasped and air ran down into his lungs and back out. He opened his eyes and found Naoe's hand holding onto his head and a kiss was stolen from him. He pushed the man off nervously and got onto his legs with his knees bent and his butt slightly rested on the sole of his feet. "Naoe! What the heck are you doing?"

"I want to kiss you." Naoe replied after he pulled himself off the carpeted floor.

"I know that I ordered to you hold me last night, but I don't recall giving you permission to touch me like that. I've never said that you could kiss me!"

"Why are you being so difficult? You've led me on and now you're refusing me? Do you how much I want you right now?" shameless eyes questioned his lord. Naoe locked their gazes together and slowly in baby steps, walked toward his lord. He licked his lips, "I want to kiss you. I want to kiss every inch of naked body. I want to hear you moan in pleasure and beg for my attention. I want to make love to you and hold you in my arms and tell you how much I love you."

Naoe's words sent Takaya a shiver down into his spine. "You bastard! You're asking too much of me! That's more than what I can give you. I can't…"

"Kagetora!" Naoe came in closer and pushed the boy back down onto the cushion.

"No! Naoe, don't!" Takaya tried to fight back, to pull away, but the man's strength on top of him was too strong. His physical built were feeble compared to Naoe.

"Don't move too much." Naoe had already taken the boy's arms and restrained them on both side of the boy's entire length. "It'll be more pleasurable for you if you don't resist me." Hot air had already formulated throughout Naoe's body as he spoke. His prey was lying deliciously before him, staring straight into his eyes. Yes, those sharp and spike tiger eyes were staring at him.

"Fuck off, Naoe! We have more important things to do!" Still struggling, Takaya tried to get his arms released.

"Important?" A word of sarcasm spoke from Naoe's voice. "There is nothing more important to me than you. You're the only thing that has any affect on me. Nothing else matter. Nothing but you, My Lord." He planted a kiss on the side of the boy's neck below the ear.

"What kind of a servant are you to disobey your lord? I want you to stop this nonsense right… uHhh…, now." Naoe came lower and bit the skin near the hollow ditch of his lord's neck; in return he got a little moan just now.

Naoe lifted his head up and there he saw them again, sparks of lust seeping from the boy's eyes. "Why do you look at me like this? I need to know. I want to understand how you feel about me and the only way to find out is to become intimately involve with you. I'll break in if I must! I waited too long for this, too long."

"Don't you dare…!" The boy was shut up by a sudden kiss. 'I'll kill you.' The thought ran through his head, but Naoe's kiss felt so good and fulfilling that he let go of everything for that moment. The touch of Naoe's lip against his was so soft, so gentle and yet so eager.

Naoe nudged the boy's lips and slid his thirst into the boy's mouth. As his tongue glided in and touched the boy's tongue, a moan muffled yet noticeable by both parties when it was released. Neither one of them could tell whom it came from, but it didn't matter. Soon, both of their breathing was short and fast. They drew air at the same time and every time as they opened their mouth and went deeper into another swimming session.

Takaya's arms were soon released when he responded to Naoe's snaky length and returned the poison venom with an antidote of messy kissing while his arms were held up and his fingers dug into Naoe's gray platinum hair.

The poison spread as Naoe pulled off the white t-shirt obstructing his path to heaven. "Kagetora," he admired the exquisite entrée lying beneath him, 'Don't let this be another dream.'

The poison numbed the boy as he held onto Naoe's head; he felt his growing sensation, rising and pushing up against the elastic of his boxer underneath his jeans. He could feel Naoe's lips planting small tingling kisses and leaving a trail of saliva on his torso. Pain started slowly as he expected it. First, he felt a little light headed, then as he allowed Naoe to continue pampering him, he felt as if someone or something was twisting the inside of his stomach and the spiral pressure got stronger every second. 'Hold it. Control the pain.' He commanded himself while trying to hold his breath to ease the pain. Then as he released his breath, a moan escaped from his lips.

"That's it, call my name. Let me hear your voice."

"Naoe." without thinking, he complied.

Naoe was pleased to get a response from his lord. Whatever he was doing, he knew that Kagetora liked it. With each different body that Kagetora possessed, Naoe had to adjust slightly to attend each physique. Each body reacted a little different, but over the span of his life time, he had learned every crevice and cranny where his lord was most sensitive and where his lord preferred the most attention to. The body may be different, but the soul which driven it was the same. The areola was one of the few places where his lord couldn't withstand when he sucked and tongued the tip of his wetness over its erected nipples.

As Naoe slowly slavered over his feast, he was preoccupied with his own passion and didn't notice that Takaya had been squeezing his eyes shut due to the pain which developed whenever they came close in contact, intimately. The boy's breathing got drier and slower, and his head shifted in slow motion from side to side. Images were projecting underneath his shut eyelids and brought his vision to a foreign place.

_A dark night. _

_A mystic moon. _

_An aroma of a fresh blood. _

_Monsters in disguise as human. _

_"You worthless whore! No one is going to save you, so stop struggling!" _

_Agony. _

_Betrayal. _

_Ripping flesh. _

_Burning scars. _

_"That's a good boy." _

_"Let's use him again… and again…" _

"No! Stop! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!" Takaya could no longer control the ordeal that was displaying in his vision. The images were vague, but the feelings were strong. He felt as if he was there and it was his own body being torture into million pieces. He curled up in bed and hugged his knees tightly in his arms, wavering in fear. Why did such horrid images appear when he was with Naoe? What did it have to do with him and Naoe?

Naoe startled instantly when his lord screamed and commanded him to stop. Was it him? Did he do something wrong? He raised his hand and attempted to touch his lord's frantic body.

"Please don't touch me. Don't touch me!" Takaya cried, afraid that if he got any closer, he would lose control completely.

"Why?" This was exactly how his dream ended before. He was so close, but all of a sudden Kagetora didn't allow him to go any further. "Why must you play with me over and over again?" He grabbed the boy's arms and forcefully spread them above the boy's head while his leg pushed forward and part the boy's legs open. As he leaned forward for another kiss and a pair of lost eyes looked at him.

"I can't… I can't control myself. I'll kill you." The boy whimpered his words.

Those eyes, something was definitely wrong with them. There was no sign power, force or ill intention. The spear in those tiger's eyes were replaced with a pair of disoriented cat's eyes; a pair of eyes which belonged to a lost child, whom knowledge was too little or not yet developed to grasp the full meaning of his or her surrounding. Yet, the difference in those eyes defeated Naoe and he released the boy. He sat up while the boy lay with his arms pressing tightly against his chest.

"What's wrong? Is it me? What have I done something to upset you?"

"No, it's not you."

"Then what is it? Why are you torturing me like this?" Naoe clinched his fists together while he tried to read the boy's expression.

Silence.

Takaya wince his eyes tightly, 'Should I tell him? If I tell him then maybe it would ease thing a little and the pain would go away.'

"Kagetora, tell me!" Naoe couldn't hold his frustration any longer. "If getting closer to you means that you'll kill me then kill me. I rather die by your hands then drag on for the rest of eternity living like a slave at your knees." His faint purple eyes filmed a coat of bitterness as he continued, "You have no idea what sort of pain you've put me through. All these years, I served you like a dog. I barked when you told me to. I wagged my tail when you wanted me to. I even fucked you when I ordered me to! But after all that I'd done for you, you were never satisfied and you'd never forgive me. As much as I wanted your body, it's your soul that I wanted the most. Your heart! Your entirety! Through out the years that I served you, I'd tried my best to satisfy you, but all I got… all I got was an empty shell. You'd never given me what I wanted. Was it because of me? Because I forced myself back in? No, it was you, you drove me crazy. You're the driver of my misery!"

Takaya managed to pull his weight up and controlled the sudden spasm, which attacked him by catching his breaths slowly while Naoe berated his pain. It was unquestionable that Naoe had undergone a trail of endurance, an ordeal of affliction for worshiping his master. He started to understand why Naoe had been so desperate in seeking for his affection. The man sitting before was born in agony. Love and anguish had twisted him and made him mad. If he could only remember how it all started. He wished to understand the depth of their relationship. If he were to understand why and how he had driven a man so desperately in love with him to become so foolish, then he could ease the man's soul and also release himself of his own suffering. "If it's so painful to endure, then why do you continue to live on and love me for so long?"

"Why?" Naoe sounded a bit surprised as he caught a glimpse of Takaya's sincere eyes looking at him, 'Has he opened up to me?' He decided to chance his fate once more. "I love you. I have always loved you. If you want to know why, I don't know how to explain it, but whenever I'm with you, a strong force draws me closer to you. It's an invisible thread, a bond which tied us together. I've never been affect by anyone but you. You're the only one that could hurt me. Maybe that's the reason why, because you're the one that could hurt me. You've made me feel weak and hopeless; I feel naked, completely expose when I'm around you. I have nothing else to give you, but my worthless soul. If we'd never met, if I'd never loved you, if I'd listened to my heart and if I didn't accept Lord Kenshin's order to protect you, then I could have sleep in my grave and save my pathetic soul from all this torture." He looked away in distress, "My one mistake of letting you go had driven me to make more mistakes and because of this you hate me." He shifted his attention back to his lord, "Kagetora, I think that 400 years of service is enough to repent for all my sins. Release me. Kill me if you must!"

"I can't."

"If you don't need me, then let me go. You've imprisoned for too long too. This is hell, Kagetora; a never ending eternity of imprisonment. Why do I must continue to live this immortal life? A life of immortality may be envious to many, but for those who serves and ties down by obligation; I've found it meaningless to live on. Why did it have to be me? Why couldn't be someone else? It hurt. It hurt, Kagetora." Naoe felt his chest on the verge of suffocation as his grabbed hold of the fabric above his chest, "It hurt so much to love you."

It hurt Takaya to see Naoe like this. The man didn't know that he was being hurt through all of this, too. He wanted to give in, but circumstance had prevented his submission. He could careless about his past memories, but for some unknown reason they were taunting him, creating a strong paroxysm of emotion and images of his past that he couldn't ignore. As he inhaled the hurt of this moment, he heaved a groan, "The rest of eternity will be lonely by myself. God damn it, Naoe! You've waited for over four centuries. Couldn't wait a little longer?"

"…" Narrowed eyes stared at Takaya in puzzlement.

"First, we need to save Yuzuru. Once he is saved, we can work out our misunderstanding."

Naoe couldn't believe what he'd heard. Could it be true? Was he hallucinating? Or was this real and his lord had just proposed to settle their problems.

"I've given it many thoughts and I'm willing to meet you half way to end this ridiculous game. All I ask of you now is to wait for me, just a little longer. I need more time."

"I'll wait. I'll wait forever if I must." He pulled the treasure, the source, the meaning of his life into a breathtaking embrace. "I love you."

"I know." Takaya felt the same unseen element, an indescribable peace, which filled his core right at this moment. He had taken an initial step, one step further to understand the man whom loved him so much. Harmony would soon find them. As he filled his inner peace with another breath of joy; he took another step to reach his goal. An unexpected kiss was planted on Naoe's lips. "Let's go and end this torment. We have a rescue mission to complete." Gentle words were whispered into their kiss.

A smile of grace found Naoe as he released his lord. "Yes, let's end it."

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**End of Chapter **

Smile: I'm planning to write a long story here and I hope that you don't feel like I'm dragging it. I want to go further in depth and portray how their relationship begins from start to finish. This chapter starts the acknowledgement of their relationship. Going forward, probably from the next chapter on, there will be many flashbacks of historical events; they will illustrate the root of Naoe & Kagetora's relationship. I hope that you'll look forward to it as much as I look forward to write it.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

The other team arrived in Tokyo with assistance from the Date clan. Unfortunately, Lord Masamune could not leave his position to assist the Uesugi with their fight against Oda. He sent his brother, Lord Kojiro and his vassal, Katakura to help with the rescue mission.

"Is there a meeting place where we suppose to meet Naoe and Kagetora?" Lord Kojiro asked.

"Yes, we discussed this matter. We agreed to meet them nearby Edo Castle on the third day after our dispatch. I could sense their spirits nearby, but I don't know their exact location though." Haruie replied.

"Let's settle down somewhere and I'll contact them with my telepathy. We need to let them know that we're here." Chiaki suggested.

"Yeah, good idea." Haruie agreed as she spotted a souvenir shop, which offered information about the city, beverages and a rest area to settle down. Chiaki could perform his connection from there.

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After the touching quarrel between Naoe and Takaya, they left the hotel and found a coffee shop nearby. Both possessors were exhausted from their lack of sleep, but obligation, duties and the need to resolve their past urged them to continue.

"Aren't we supposed to meet Chiaki and Haruie today? How are we going to contact them?" Takaya asked.

"Chiaki knows to contact me with his telepathy when he arrives. I think that he and the other should be somewhere in Tokyo by now. You should try to relax a little. You took tired."

"Tired? I have to time to relax! My best friend is in danger and I'm sitting here with you sipping coffee! This is just…" The boy groaned, 'wrong.'

"What do you suggest we do? We shouldn't be acting recklessly and forget that we cannot fight against the Oda clan with only the two of us. You don't have full control of your powers yet and Ranmaru is a strong opponent. If he somehow has resurrected Oda; the two of us are no match for them."

"I know, but…"

"I know Yuzuru is your friend. He's important to you therefore I know that you'll do whatever it takes to save him. You can call me selfish, but I don't want to lose you again. Saving Yuzuru is important, but protecting you is more important. I cannot let you walk yourself into your grave. We should wait for the others. With more people, I'm sure we'll be able to find and save Yuzuru. With the little time that we have left, you should take care of yourself. I don't want to see you drain yourself."

"You fool! You shouldn't talk. Look at yourself. You look like shit!"

"I'd been worst." Naoe replied with a slight smile.

"How can you maintain such a calm expression? Aren't you even worried at all?"

"Of course, I'm worried. This is something that I've grown accustomed to. Time has played a significant factor in my life. Especially, during the last 30 years, I…" He paused and looked away for a few seconds reading his own thoughts. As he looked back and met Takaya's brown eyes staring at him, he drew a breath and continued, "I've been through a lot. Time has carved this expression on me and it has naturally become a part of me."

"Thirty years, huh? Have you been looking for me all these time?"

"Yes, I have. After Oda defeated us and our souls were scattered I managed to possess the fetus of a pregnant women nearby. I was probably about five or six years old when I realized who I really was. Since then, there was never a day that I could forget about you. It was a long and dreadful time to live without you, but I'd survived it."

Takaya tried to read beneath Naoe's synthetic mask. Underneath that calm and relaxed face of Naoe, he was hiding something. There was still so much about Naoe that Takaya didn't understand. How did they meet in their original live? Why did Naoe fall in love with him? Did he ever return Naoe's feelings? What happened between them that result him to hate Naoe so much? What did Naoe do? When Naoe spoke about his current life without Takaya; an indication of depression was recognized. How did the man manage to live without him? What sort of endurances did he have to go through? Questions like these could continue on and on forever until he'd found an answer to all of them.

"I have to say that the last 29 years of this life isn't fun, but I've found you. It was worth it after all. I'm glad that I didn't…" Naoe broke their eyes' contact again. He was definitely hiding something from Takaya and wasn't about to reveal it.

Takaya could sense that Naoe was bothered by something. Whatever it was, Naoe wasn't going to let him in on it, but he didn't care. If Naoe wasn't ready to tell him then he could wait a little longer as well. Both he and Naoe needed more time. "Twenty-nine! I didn't think that you're that old? Fucking, you're twelve years older than me!"

"Does it bother you that I'm much older?"

"No. It's just that I've thought that you are younger that's all. Anyways, if I consider our original life, then we're over hundreds of year old, right? So, it doesn't really matter."

Naoe's eyes softened and glowed. Takaya could tell that he was contented at the moment.

A silence took place as the two stared at each other. It was unusual for two men to sit and observe one another.

Takaya broke the silence when he realized that he'd forgotten about his little sister. "Naoe, I need to give Miya a call to let her know that I'm not going to come home for another couple of days."

"Okay, I'll wait for you here."

"It shouldn't take me long." Takaya stood up and stepped to the side of his seat.

"Be back soon, I'll going to miss you."

The boy grunted with a frown. "What's with the sappy attitude? I'm just going to leave for a few minutes."

"I know." Another smile found the older man's face.

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Takaya found a payphone around the corner near the coffee shop. He dialed his home phone number and waited for a response.

After four rings, someone replied. "Hello, Ougi's residence."

"Miya?"

"Takaya? Is that you?" His sister replied cheerfully.

"Yeah."

"When are you coming home? You've been gone for a week and I'm worried about you."

"I'll come back as soon as I can. I have some problems in Tokyo that I have to deal with. Take care of yourself while I'm gone, okay?"

"Problems? Don't tell me that you've gotten yourself into trouble again! Takaya, you need to come back soon. Don't go do anything reckless and hurt yourself. I don't want to see you coming home with cut and bruises, you hear me!"

"Just shut up! I'll be fine."

"Takaya!"

"I'll be fine. I'll call you again in a couple of day, okay?"

"But, Takaya!"

"Okay, that's enough. I have to go." Takaya hanged up the phone, "That girl, she worries too much." He chuckled silently to himself.

When Takaya was about to return to Naoe, an unexpected stranger showed up behind him.

"Uesugi Yasha." A familiar voice announced his presence.

"Kousaka!" Takaya immediately turned around to keep his guard. "What are you doing here?" He hastily asked the man.

"I have no obligation to tell that."

"You bastard! Then why do you show your ugly face here? Have you come to seek revenge on Oda? Do you have any information on the where about of the Oda clan or where they've taken Yuzuru?"

"Like I said, I don't have to tell anything."

"Hell with you! If you're not going to give me any information then step aside and let me go."

"You're not going anywhere. I've come here to get you, so you're coming with me."

"I'm not going anywhere with you! Move your skinny ass aside and let me through!"

"Don't you want to see your friend?" Kousaka sneered back that the boy.

"So you do know where he is?"

"You can say that."

"Then why didn't you say it sooner! Where is he?"

"I'll take you to him, but you must leave with me now."

"What do you think I am? Stupid? I'm not going anywhere with you alone."

"I'm sorry, but you have no choice in the matter."

"What are you talking about? Agh…" At that instant, Takaya was knocked out from behind and landed forward into Kousaka's arms.

At the same time, Naoe felt a disturbance and sensed malice in the air. He immediately ran out from the coffee shop and saw what he predicted. "Kousaka, release him!" He exploded an orange blast, but his effort struck down the telephone booth instead.

Kousaka escaped the blast and levitated himself along with Takaya onto the roof of the next building in sight. "You're too late, Naoe. I have your precious master."

"Damn you, Kousaka! Give him back to me!"

"Don't you worry, because you're coming with him." He sneered and jumped away, vanished into a distance.

"What?" Before Naoe realized what Kousaka had just said, he turned around and blackness found him.

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An hour later, Takaya woke up and found his arms and legs were spread and chained against a cold hard bed.

"Lord Kagetora!" Naoe called to the boy. He was also chained, but in a standing position. His arms were secured against the cell's wall above his head.

"Kagetora Uesugi."

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Takaya recognized that voice. It was the same voice from before when Yuzuru was kidnapped that night, one week ago. This time it came from the corner of the room as a tall figure slowly walked out from the darkness and disclosed himself. Takaya eyed him carefully, but his vision was blurred from the dimness of the room. As the figure came closer something inside of him was burning.

"Stay away from him!" Naoe growled from the side, twisting his wrists as he tried to pull them forward to get them freed, but his effort was useless. The chains were fastened with a magical seal.

"We meet again, Kagetora." A young man stepped forward, standing right beside Takaya and casting a smear look at the boy lying beneath. He smiled and stood stagnantly as he analyzed the boy's makeup from head to toes. "Well, isn't this nice? This time you're a pretty boy rather than the frantic female, which I remember seeing you last."

"Who the hell are you?" Takaya questioned boldly, his voice was dried from the lack of moist and the burning inside of him didn't help his coarse vocal. The other boy didn't respond. Takaya tried to recognize the young man while he was still silent. He was about Takaya's age, or maybe a little older, but definitely in his late teens with long, dark elbow length hair, the same shade as Takaya's hair. His eyes were different though, while Takaya had dark hazel eyes, this other boy had bright yellow ones.

"I'm so disappointment in you." The other boy spoke teasingly as he reached his hand out to caress Takaya's face.

"Don't touch me!" Takaya roared.

"Why are you acting so distance? Surely, you remember the man who nearly ended your life 30 years ago?"

"Oda, get away from him!" Naoe, once again stepped forward forcefully bruising his wrists.

"Oda? Nobunaga?" Takaya voiced his question in disbelief.

"Humph, so it is true. You don't have your memories." A malicious grin found his wide lips as Oda sneered at the boy.

"Yes, My Lord. Kagetora has forgotten his past memories." From another corner, another voice confirmed the missing pieces of Kagetora's history. The voice which had spoken was no other than the traitor from the Takeda clan.

Takaya's eyes stalled wide open as he saw the traitor came out visibly from the corner, "Kousaka, you bastard!"

"How could you?" Naoe questioned from the other side; he couldn't believe what Kousaka had done. "Are you allying yourself with Oda? How could you betray your lord and your clan?"

Kousaka paced himself slowly as he walked up to meet Naoe and chuckle his amusement. "Naoe, you're a loyal dog who would follow his master to the end of the earth. You've always tickled me with your foolish affection and loyalty." He came in closer and kicked Naoe in the crotch. "Argh!" A heavy groan responded to his rash action. He leaned in closer and licked Naoe's ears, "You and I, we're the same."

Naoe opened his wrinkled eyes and with a painful expression on his face, he groaned, "You're not making any sense."

Kousaka braced his fingers up to Naoe's chin as he studied the taller man's perplexed mask. "Don't you see, Naoe? You of all people should know my position. I am a lost dog. A stray. There is no home for me to come back to."

"Yes, indeed." Oda said arrogantly. "He has nothing left. All he has now is his lonesome and to save his pitiful ass, he's working for me now. You've proven yourself, Kousaka. As I agreed in exchange for the captive of Kagetora, I shall consider you as one of my own."

"Thank you, My Lord." He bowed. "I'm sure that I'll have more opportunity to prove my loyalty to you."

"Asshole! Where is your sense of duties? You traitor!" Takaya roared from below, trying to raise his body to settle his anger and smack the good for nothing traitor.

Kousaka snorted, "My duties reside with Lord Nobunaga now."

"You inhuman bastard!"

"No, I'm not human and so are you." He replied bluntly.

The plain truth from that reply extinguished the rising rage from Takaya's bad mouth and put him in brief silent. 'That's true, I'm not human. None of us are. We're just possessors who've taken over other's lives to continue living. We're monsters… all of us, but….'

"What's wrong pretty boy? Don't you have anything else to say? Why such a long face?" Oda asked his captive. He couldn't figure what was bothering the boy, but he could careless. The Yasha of Bishamonten had been an obstacle in his path for hundred of years, fighting against him, weakening him and sealing him away. For him to be successful and continued his plan as scheduled he would need to eliminate Kagetora once and for all, but winning like this was too…. "Look at you… pitiful. Is this how you want to die? I could kill you in an instant and take over both worlds. No one, not even the great Bishamonten could stop me now."

"What are you talking about? How can you defy the God Bishamonten?" Naoe questioned the snickering Oda.

"I have the key, the key to the Six Realms." He laughed, enjoying the sound of his own wickedness.

"Do you mean Yuzuru?" Takaya suddenly questioned the evil warlord, awakening from this brief silence.

"Yuzuru Narita. Yes, he's the key. He's the key to my ruling this UNIVERSE."

"Where is he? What have you done to him? Where is Yuzuru?!"

"Do you want to see your dearest friend?" Oda asked teasingly as he traced the tips of his fingers along the side of Takaya's face.

"Bastard! Take your hand off me!"

Oda ignored the boy and continued his extravagant; he gripped the chin of Takaya firmly in between his fingers. Locking his yellow eyes against the boy's dark brown ones; he could see flames, anger and an ounce of hatred seeping from the boy's eyes. "I think… I prefer you this way. It's a lot more intriguing than the female body that you've last possessed." He leaned forward, still holding onto the boy's chin.

Takaya fixed his eyes on Oda and didn't let his eyes wonder off. The long haired boy was about to kiss him.

"Kagetora!" Naoe couldn't take in the picture before him, his blood was broiling inside. He couldn't control himself. There was no way he could allow anyone else, but him to touch his lord in such manner. Power from within his body started to rise, simulating an orange aura around him.

"I suggest that you don't try anything reckless or else Kagetora will pay for your mistake. And, if you haven't noticed, the seal on those chains will explode if you attempt to break them." Kousaka advised the frustrated man.

Naoe calmed himself and as he tried to cool off his steam, something was transmitting to him. He closed his eyes pretending to be in pain while allowing the wave of communication to connect mentally.

'Naoe, where are you?'

'I don't know. Somewhere dark, it's like a dungeon or a cell of an abandon prison.'

'We know. We know where you are. We're coming. Wait for us.'

"Now we're getting somewhere." Oda mocked his amusement looking at the man chained to the wall.

'Come quickly.' Naoe broke his connection, afraid that Oda might have sensed Chiaki's presence.

"The two of you have always amused me." Oda continued his snickering. "Let the fun begins!" He shifted his attention back to Takaya. "Didn't you say that you want to see your friend? I'll play nice this one time and grant you your death wish." He released his gripped and chuckled silently knowing that he'll enjoy the up coming reunion. "Kousaka."

"Yes, My Lord."

"Our friends here are getting impatient. Go and get them what they seek." The evil lord ordered.

Kousaka bowed in agreement and left the confined room. Minutes later, he came back with a blonde boy.

"Takaya!" The boy quickly recognized his friend lying on the cold concrete bed.

"Yuzuru?" Takaya replied, lifting up his head to find his friend running toward him.

"Please release him." Yuzuru begged the long haired boy. "He's my friend. He won't do you any harm."

"No, he won't." Oda agreed. "Go ahead, release him."

"My Lord, this may not be a wise decision." Kousaka advised.

"It's fine. There is no escape for him."

"…" Kousaka narrowed his eyes; he didn't catch the meaning behind his lord's remark. The lord must have something else planned for Kagetora.

"Yuzuru, I'm glad that you're okay." Takaya expressed his concern while his friend released the cuffs from his arms and legs.

"Takaya, I'm so glad to see you too." He gave his friend a hug, crying on the best friend's shoulder.

"Come on dude, there is no need to get all soggy." Takaya replied holding onto his emotional friend.

"Kagetora! Get away from him! He's not who you think!" Naoe yelled from his post as he saw a flickering light flashing through Yuzuru's forehead.

Takaya quickly released his friend. "Yuzuru?" He too had noticed the seed of evil king hiding beneath his friend's bang. It was bright, shining in a red color. Someone had released the frozen spell that he had cast on the seed. "NO!"

"Hahahaha!" Oda laughed. "You've finally noticed."

Yuzuru immediately jumped backward and stood by Oda's side with a smug on his face. Oda wrapped his arms around the younger boy and pulled him into an embrace.

"I'm sorry, My Lord. I fail you." Yuzuru apologized.

"No, this is exactly how it should be." Oda replied and rewarded the young boy with a kiss.

"Yuzuru!" Takaya called to his friend. "Bastard! What have you done to him?" he questioned the demon lord.

"Don't you dare speak to My Lord with such manners?" Yuzuru told off his enemy.

"Yuzuru, it's me! Takaya Ougi."

The blonde snorted, "I don't care who you are. You and the rest are the same; everyone is opposing My Lord. You will pay for this mistake." Yuzuru initiated an attack; a yellow flame encircled his entire body as he ignited a rapid fireball and strike the boy in front of him. "Die!"

"Yuzuru!" Takaya quickly crossed his arms and cast a protection shield, but the impact from the assault was too strong; it dissolved the shield at contact and blew him over the bed and across the dark room. He hit his head against the wall and one of the candlelight which was lighting the room fell nearby.

"Lord Kagetora!" Naoe called to his lord, yet still unable to free himself from his chains.

"Don't worry…, he'll die very soon." Yuzuru replied instead of the half conscious boy leaning against the wall. He walked forward and put off the candlelight with his foot.

"Yuzuru don't…. This is not who you are." Takaya managed to speak as his friend came closer.

"Isn't this fun? This is what I call entertainment!" Oda laughed hysterically, standing behind Yuzuru.

"Shut up! You lowlife!" Takaya's mouth was at it again.

"Didn't I tell you not to speak to My Lord in such manner?" Yuzuru pulled Takaya up to his feet by the fabric of his white t-shirt.

"Yuzuru, wake up! I don't want to fight you!"

"If you don't fight back then it'll be an easier job for me to satisfy My Lord." Yuzuru grabbed Takaya's neck with one hand while the other one was placed on Takaya's forehead. He started to chant a spell.

"Yuzuru… buddy… let's go home together… your mom and your friends are waiting for you."

The blonde boy hesitated a little; he wince his eyes as if Takaya's words got through to him.

"Now! Give it to him now!" Oda commanded.

Yuzuru's spiritual energy raised a level as he continued his spell.

Takaya's body started to burn and his vision got hazy and before he faded out; he saw something glistering from his friend's face. "YUZURU!" He called to his friend right before he collapsed; his body arched backward and a pillar of blue light blasted vertically from his body.

"KAGETORA!" Naoe immediately let go a tremendous energy that he had been gathering while he stood from the side line. He didn't care if it would cost him his life; he had to escape now and save his lord. The blast of Naoe's desperation created a magnetic energy. His orange flames attracted Yuzuru's yellow flames; they merged together and dissolved as one. The effect also neutralized the explosion spell on the chains. Naoe managed to free his wrists and instantly he found himself by Kagetora's side. With his bloody wrists and injured body, he managed to cradle his lord in his arms.

"Don't let them get away!" Oda commanded.

"My Lord." Kousaka obeyed.

Yuzuru was in a state of shock when Takaya's blue pillar forced him away and Naoe's discharge fused with his spiritual energy.

At this moment, another explosion attacked the dungeon's wall: concrete, dust and smoke formulated from the assault creating a smoke effect and shattered materials started to pile on top of everyone. Stood before the breaking entrance were four shadows.

Oda immediately withdrew before the intruders were able to see him.

"Naoe! Kagetora!" Haruie called for them. She and the two men from the Date clan assisted the injured teammates.

"Yuzuru!" Chiaki reached his arm out for his friend, but his attempt fail.

Kousaka stepped in and pulled the boy away. "A–ah…. He's our trump card. You can't have him. We'll meet again soon, Uesugi Yasha." He withdrew with the boy.

"Freaking bastard!" Chiaki yelled into the smoke as the two before him disappeared. "Yuzuru! We'll come for you!"

"Naoe, what happened? You're bleeding… bleeding so much!" Haruie hadn't seen so much blood in such a long time. It was hard for her to see Naoe in such condition. He injured himself once again.

"We should go now. There is no time left." Lord Kojiro advised while holding onto Takaya's unconscious body.

"Yes, let's go!" Katakura agreed with his lord.

"Hold on, guys. We'll get you outta here." Haruie hustled along.

"Let's beat it! The place is collapsing!" Chiaki tailed from behind, making sure that nothing was following them.

"BOOM!" Rumble, debris, earth, everything collapsed as they escaped the hellhole and found daylight.

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**End of Chapter **

Smile: Sorry, I've got side track again. The flashback of Naoe & Kagetora's past will start in the next chapter. You may have noticed that Kousaka is a bit OCC and there is a good reason for it. You'll find out later in the story. Regarding Oda, I don't know exactly how he looks or how he would act because the Anime didn't really detail that. I'm making up his characteristic with my own preferences. I hope this is okay. And, for those of you out there, I have one favor to ask. I'm having a little trouble figuring out who the devil Yuzuru is. The Anime has mentioned that he's an important person, but it didn't leak any other information about him. What or who the hell is he? I'm thinking that he is could be one of the reincarnated god or Kenshin or maybe he is the creator of this universe himself. Who knows…? I'm just guessing. Any idea? Any one?

Oh, and I've been utilizing my profile on this site to update the status of my stories. If you're ever curious as to how far I am, or when I'll post the next chapter of any story, then check there.

**Term **

Yasha – Warrior of Bishamonten. Possessors who are granted with powers to exorcise evil spirits of those remain on earth. There is a total of five Yasha: Kagetora Uesugi, Nobutsuna Naoe, Haruie Kakizaki, Nagahide Yasuda (Chiaki) and Irobe Katsunaga.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

Everyone landed on their knees, faced down as they escaped the collapsed cavern.

"Naoe, be careful. You shouldn't move. We need to get your wound treated." Haruie reminded her injured friend.

Naoe could careless about himself. He broke away from Haruie and got to Takaya who was lying on the ground three bodies away from him. "Kagetora! Kagetora!" He shook the unconscious boy, buried his head into Takaya's blood stain t-shirt and held the boy in his arms. "No! This is not how it supposed to end. You can't die on me, not yet." In Naoe's helpless condition, he couldn't hear the fainted heart beat that was still pounding from his lord's body.

"Is he dead? He can't be dead?" Haruie picked herself up and asked fretfully.

"No, he's weak, very weak, but not dead." Lord Kojiro confirmed Takaya's condition. "Naoe, you should let Haruie helps you. Don't worry about Kagetora. He's strong. He'll maintain until we get help."

"I can't, this is all my fault, I should have…" Naoe clinched tighter, digging his fingertips into Takaya's arms. "Why didn't I break free earlier? Aren't I supposed to be his protector? I failed. I failed as a protector and as a…"

"Naoe, this is not the time to feel sorry. Let's get out of here and we could deal with your sorry ass later." Chiaki scorned his rueful friend.

"I could sense Kousaka and someone else nearby." Haruie concentrated her natural power.

"Is it Yuzuru?" Chiaki asked.

"No, not him, someone with an extreme aura of power and…" She shuddered, feeling a chill running down her spine, "blood thirst and malevolence."

"It's Oda. He's back." Naoe managed a low, breathless reply. His eyes were failing him and blood started to drain from his head.

"Oda Nobunaga?" Everyone asked, surprised, but to some extend they had already knew that the reign of Oda was coming back.

"He was there." Another low whisper confirmed the demon lord's resurrection. "He was there." Naoe repeated himself once more before he completely fainted and lay unconsciously on top of Takaya's motionless body.

"NAOE!" Haruie ran to the falling body.

With Naoe and Takaya in critical condition, the team halted their rescue mission and attended the injured possessors.

Haruie bandaged the fallen man's wrists; she ripped her blouse to make strips for his bandages. As she finished, stopping the red fluid from leaking Naoe's body, she noticed something flickering from the corner of her eyes. "No!" She voiced her concern.

"What's wrong?" Chiaki asked.

"Kagetora…"

Chiaki and Lord Kojiro came to notice the same flickering red light hiding beneath Takaya's hair. It appeared that Yuzuru had implanted the seed of evil king into his friend's forehead.

"Fuck! Not Takaya, too! Not another poppet of Oda's evil seed?" Chiaki said disgustingly as he and Lord Kojiro pulled the nearly dead boy from the ground and dragged him to his feet.

"Let's take him back to Sendai." The young Lord Kojiro suggested.

"That's too far. Do you think that they can last that long?"

"My power is not strong enough to remove the seed from Kagetora's body. If we want to remove the seed, then we must get him back to Sendai and seek my brother's help. He's the only one that I know of, who could release the curse of this seed."

"Yes, that is true. Lord Masamune had done the same for Lord Kojiro when he was under the influence of Oda's evil plant. Yet, in Lord Kojiro's case it took Lord Masamune almost a month to remove the curse. Lord Kagetora has just been implanted with the seed and I don't think that it's been activated yet. If we get him back to Lord Masamune; he should be able to remove it easily. If the seed makes home in its host body for too long, then there may be complication and I don't know how long it will take My Lord to heal a deity such as Lord Kagetora." Katakura explained.

"Then Sendai it is!" Chiaki voiced strongly as he marched forward.

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They retreated to Sendai. The trip took about two hours. Once they arrived, the Date immediately escorted them back to the clan's headquarter where everyone was probably treated. Like Katakura had mentioned, Lord Masamune easily removed the red seed from Takaya's body. Yet, Takaya was not able to regain conscious. Apparently, his spirit was damaged during the implantation process. He was put to rest safely under the care of Lord Masamune.

Naoe's wounds were no picnic, either. The flesh around his wrists was torn displaying layers of white and pink tissues. He'd also burst a few veins, but no vital tendons were damaged. He'd also drained so much of his energy that he couldn't possibly move any limp at the moment. Yet, he was strong and these kinds of injuries could not kill a man like him. With Lord Masamune's healing power and his own spiritual will; he should recover in no time.

As Lord Masamune closed Naoe's wounds, he noticed something odd. He eyed curiously at the stubborn scar that wouldn't fade away no matter how hard he tried to repair it. It retained its shape and position on Naoe's left wrist. "Even with the greatest healing power; I cannot heal such a wound. My friend, this mark must mean something of great important to you." He gently expressed his words to the sleeping man lying languidly in bed.

Once everyone was treated and rested, Lord Masamune took his leave and asked Haruie to care for her friends. He had done his part, now time would have to play the rest. He had also given permission for the Uesugi Yasha to stay with his clan while they regained their strength.

Haruie and Chiaki accepted the Date's offer and decided to stay until the wounded members were healed and able to leave.

"How are they?" Haruie asked the Date's leader, sitting opposite from him on a mat, kneeling on the tatami floor of the guest room.

"Naoe should be fine in a couple of days, but Kagetora…" Lord Masamune paused for a brief moment before he continued, "he will need a little bit more time. Give him at least a week."

"Thank god!" Haruie huffed a sigh of relief while Chiaki stood there in silent. For that brief moment of Lord Masamune's silence, he swore the Lord of Date was holding back on something.

"You two should also rest while you can, because we'll have a lot to do while your friends are resting."

"Are we talking about Oda?" Chiaki asked.

"Yes, as we're speaking, Kojiro and our men are tracking him down. From what I've heard so far, it's very odd for Oda to flea from a battle scene. This can only mean that he hasn't completely restored his power and if I'm not wrong; I think he's feeding on Yuzuru's energy to restore his power."

"That ludicrous bastard has Yuzuru completely under his control! Demon Lord shit!" Chiaki exploded his worry.

"When I saw Yuzuru, I could still sense his soul; it was weak, but it was there. I'm afraid that it won't be long until it disintegrates completely." Haruie said.

"If there is still a fraction of Yuzuru left, then Kojiro and I will be able to help the boy. If he has a strong will to fight back, there is a chance that we could pure the evilness inside of him and bring him back to us. The time now is crucial; we need to take advantage of it while Oda is still regenerating his power. We need to find him as soon as possible and get rid of him before he can do anymore damages."

"Oda is a sly bastard; he's mad, but not stupid. I don't think that he'll leave us with any clue as to where he's hiding. It was tough finding them the last time. Oda without his complete power was able to cast a strong barrier to block away my spiritual detection power and Chiaki's telepathy ability. It wasn't until Naoe spiritual energy rise up to his peak level when I sensed his presence in danger and asked everyone to direct their power to his location to create a channel for Chiaki to get through to him. The old displayed map of Tokyo in the Souvenir shop was also a big help; we found an old landmark behind the Edo Castle where prisoners were kept in the medieval periods. Once we confirmed their location, we rushed over swiftly, but still we didn't make it in time. The Oda now could easily kill us if he wants to. Imagine if he gets all his power back, what will he do?" Haruie then remembered someone else that was missing from the scene, "And, come to think of it, I didn't see Ranmaru when we pull Naoe and Kagetora from the rubble."

"That Ranmaru must be up to some devious plan for his lord. There is no other reason why he wouldn't be at Oda's side. I don't know what they're planning, but whatever it is, it couldn't be good." Chiaki shared his observation.

"No, therefore we need to work together and find the evil lord. As I said before, I cannot leave my post here as the head of the clan, but I could still help you and assist your team in your investigation. If there is a time that my presence is needed in the front line, then I will be more than happy to assist the Uesugi Yasha in battle, but for now, I must let you do your job."

"Thank you." Haruie and Chiaki bowed showing their appreciation.

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Meanwhile Takaya slept, he found himself floating as if he was dreaming. It felt exactly like one of his dreams where he dreamt about Naoe, but this time he didn't see Naoe. Instead of finding the man who usually showed up in his deepest chamber, he found a set of double steel door. The heavy door automatically opened inward as if it was inviting Takaya to come in. Takaya had no choice in the matter; once that door opened it had sucked the gravity around the floating boy and pulled him in closer. Once he entered the dark void, the door shut tightly behind him. He found himself on his feet and everything was dark, "What's happening to me? Why am I here?" Where is Naoe? Where is everyone else?" His voice echoed in the dark and continued echoing as if there was no end.

As Takaya continued walking in the grim darkness, he walked and walked until he found another set of door. The door didn't open this time, it remained closed. Takaya noticed that there were handles on the door. Should he open it? He stood in front of the door debating to himself. His heart throbbed. What was this feeling that he had? He was afraid to open that door. Holding onto the handles with both of his hands; he drew in a heavy breath and moved forward.

Once the door was open, a bright light immediately cast onto Takaya. It impaired his vision as he felt himself shrunk. "What's this?" Stood before him was a foreign sight that he didn't recognize, everything was different, the entire universe surrounding him was different. It looked somewhat like the medieval periods. Feeling a tingling sensation in his fingers, he looked down and stared at his palms, they didn't belong to him; the palms belong to a child, small, soft and tender fingers of a child wiggling in his eyes. "NO!" He screamed.

_"Saburo, are you okay?" Someone touched his shoulders and shook him from his trance. _

_"Huh?" He opened his eyes and there stood before him was a young man whom he thought looked very familiar. He instantly replied without thinking, "I'm okay." The voice which spoke didn't belong to him either. The young man gave him a gentle smile before he turned around and started to argue with an older man, who looked a bit sour. _

_"Are you opposing my decision?" The other man asked in a rough and harsh tone of voice. _

_"We cannot send __Saburo to such a dangerous place. He's just a child." _

Takaya soon realized that he was no longer in modern Japan. The two men before him were no others then his elder brothers, Ujiteru and Ujimasa. As he stood behind Ujiteru and absorbed his brothers' argument, he understood that he was the subject of their dispute. Instantly at the moment that he grasped what was happening; he got paralyzed. He could no longer move nor speak, he had no strength left; he felt his body collapsing, lying on a solid plane, motionless in the darkness. He could still feel the existence of his spirit; he felt as if he was there, in that foreign place, but at the same time he was not really there. He had no control over anything that was happening. Everything felt like a dream and he was viewing the events through another set of eyes and another body. Everything was delivered to him through the little boy.

_"And that's exactly my point. He's just a child. A child does us no good in the time of war. Keeping him here serves us no purpose; he can't fight and he's not old enough to command. The only way that he can be useful is to enter this bargain." The older brother argued. He shifted his glare to his brother in question, "Saburo, don't you want to help our father and our clan to win this war? Victory can be our! And, all you have to do is befriend with the Takeda clan." _

_"Don't listen to him. Saburo, he's scarifying you! Who knows what the Takeda will do to you when you become their captive." _

_"Ujiteru, don't you think that I've considered an alternative before I've made this discussion? He is my brother you, too you know." _

_"Like you've ever thought of anyone else, but yourself. What alternative have you considered?" _

_"I…" _

_Before the oldest brother explained himself, Saburo spoke, "I'll go…" The little boy agreed. _

_"Saburo?" _

_"Brother Ujiteru." The boy gave his brother who was defending him a warm smile. "And Brother Ujimasa." He turned to his other brother who wanted him to go play with the Takeda's family. "Don't worry about me. I'll go. I'll be a good boy. I want to help father and our people. If the only thing that I can do is to go to the Takeda clan and serve them, then I shall go for the victory of our clan." _

_"You don't know what you're saying. Saburo, you could die there. Do you want to end your life before it even started?" _

_"Enough!" Their father spoke from the center of the room. _

_"Father." All three shifted their attention to their father, Lord Ujiyasu Hojo. _

_"I've heard enough." The lord said. "I can't agree or disagree with either of you, but both know well that our clan is in trouble. We have no choice, but to send Saburo away. He, whom carries the Hojo's name, is the only one that can save our clan by entering this alliance." _

_"But, father…" _

_"Ujiteru," his father replied, "I know that you love your brother, but you must agree with Ujimasa, that this is the best. As a warrior of Hojo, you, Ujimasa, Saburo and your other four brothers, all have duties to the clan. Each and every one of you has a separate purpose and a separate mission which all add value and success to our clan. Although Saburo is young, but his fate and time have come for him to serve his clan and carries his mission out proudly as the son of Hojo." _

_"Yes, father." Ujiteru humbly agreed. How could to tell off his father after such speech? _

_"Be a good boy, take care of yourself and always remember that I love you, my son." _

_"I know father and I will remember." The boy smiled graciously, bright, pure and innocent. _

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Naoe woke up the next day and didn't care where he was or what he was supposed to do. The only thing on his mind was Kagetora. He rolled out of bed, limping his way out of his room to find his lord. As he opened the door and rushed out; he bumped into a Haruie who was bringing him a bowl of rice porridge, which happened to cover the hardwood floor now.

"What are you doing up?" She questioned him, surprised that he was able to move at all.

"Where is Kagetora? I need to see him."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of Kagetora. You should go back to bed. I'll get you another bowl of soup." She pushed her friend backed into his room.

"No, let me see him!" Naoe forced his way back out, pushing into Haruie. "I want to be with him!"

The determination from Naoe's voice made Haruie stepped aside, allowing the desperate man to see his lord. "He's in the last room at the corner. You can find him there."

"Kagetora." Naoe immediately sought for his lord. 'This is the room.' He stood in front of the door, looking at the paper frame door. All he needed to do was to slide the door open and he would be able to see his lord. "Kagetora." Feeling pathetic, he wince his eyes in pain, clutched his bandaged fists and drew in a breath as he stretched his arm out to slide the door.

Stood in front of the opened door was a man of Naoe's height with long black hair. With the only good eye that he had, the man stared his brown pupil at Naoe. "I'm glad to see you're up and walking." He said.

"Lord Masamune."

"I guess you're here to see Kagetora."

Naoe nodded.

"I'm done with him. You may come in. I'll check on him again tomorrow."

"Thank you." Naoe replied and stepped aside to let the older man leave the room. Once Lord Masamune left, Naoe welcomed himself into the room and shut the door behind him.

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"Tell me the truth. What's wrong with Kagetora?" A voice questioned the Date's leader as he walked back to his quarter.

"What are you talking about? Didn't I tell that he'll need a week to recover?" The lord responded.

"You did and that's exactly why I'm concerned. You've said to give him a week, but didn't say that he'll be okay after that. Something is wrong. Kagetora's condition is different. He hasn't moved an inch since we've laid him in bed."

The lord turned around and found Chiaki's assertive expression. "I guess there is no reason for me to hide it. I'm afraid that his soul is weakening. It appeared that the seed had a side effect on him and is causing him to sleep."

"No? What do you mean?" Haruie appeared out from the other side and had overheard the conversation. "I can sense his spirit; it's still with him."

"Yes, but it's trapped. What I want to say is that his soul is trapped in another dimension, probably somewhere like a dream state. Right now, it looks like his soul is unable to escape his dream and if he remains there for too long; he may remain like this forever."

Haruie couldn't believe what she had just heard. "But, I thought that you were able to remove the curse of the seed. How could it be? It wasn't even activated."

"I don't get it either. There is something else…" he paused for a second, "something else must have happened when the seed is implanted. All I could do now is check on him daily and try to contact his soul from within. So far, I have no luck."

"How long can he stay like this?" Chiaki asked.

"A week at most."

"Can I try? I could still feel his spirit maybe I could call to him." Haruie asked.

"His essence is strong and that's why we could still feel his soul, but I'm afraid that one individual's effort cannot reach the center of his source spirit. There is one way that I know of that would work, but it needs a tremendous amount on spiritual energy and… it can be very dangerous. I don't recommend it."

"Are you talking about the soul retrieval spell?" Chiaki asked.

"Yes and since you know about this spell, then you also know the result of what it might have."

"Isn't there any other way?" Haruie questioned.

"Once a soul is lost in its own body; there isn't much of anything that anyone can do. The only alternative left is to leave Kagetora alone and hope that his soul is strong enough to realize his reality and come back. If his soul and body are separate more than a week of time, there is nothing else we can do, but to perform that spell if we want to save him."

Haruie and Chiaki exchanged glances, they didn't like that option. To perform such a spell, great spiritual energy must be combined from multiple people, but that wasn't what they were afraid of. The one thing that they were afraid of was the result of the spell. The soul retrieval spell had been done in the past for many years, but the result of the spell was never a happy ending. Only one in every thousand cases when a spell as dangerous as this one would bring both the lost soul and retriever back safely. What would happen if the spell fails?

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**End of Chapter **

Smile: Have I confused anyone yet with the flash back? Make note that the italic sections are the flashes. Also, the name 'Hojo' can be spelled out as 'Houjou' as well. I've seen both been used and I think the anime spells it with the 'u', but the 'u' is silent. I'm lazy so, I'll continue to spell it as 'Hojo'.

Crimsonbloodvampire – Thanks for sticking with me since the beginning. I know that I write a bit slower that others, but I'm glad that you like my story so far and have taken your time to review every chapters.

KaraQ – You're so cute. Thanks for the thought about my story not getting enough reviews. Personally, I love getting reviews, but it doesn't bother me too much. I could see that people are reading and that itself is good enough for now. I'm glad the others are enjoying it and more happy when I get encouragement. Oh, and thanks to your advice about the MOB LJ, I've posted a link to this story there too.

Kairiucci – Thanks! It's always encouraging to know that more MOB fans are enjoying the effort that I'm putting together. I'm glad that you found my story on LJ.

Himekawarie – I'm all well and better now. Damn cold dragged over a week. Thank for your comment on LJ. I'm glad you've found it to your liking. As long as people appreciated my work, I'll continue to write.

LucidPaint – You made me blushed. Thank you! I think that the most difficult thing about writing fanfic is to correctly capture the details of the characters and make them believable. I'll try to continue doing my best.

Inspiration is the key to success! Catch u in the next chapter…


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

"Kagetora, please wake up." Naoe begged holding onto his lord's hand, but no matter how much he begged or how many times he repeated himself his lord would not answer him. "All I want is to hear your voice. Say something, anything to let me know that you'll be okay." He continued pleading, but still no answer from the young boy. "Kagetora." He squeezed the hand tighter, resting his heavy head against the edge of the bed while kneeling beside his lord in despair.

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_"I'm sorry." A young boy apologized as he collided into another body at the perpendicular interception of the hallway, dropping the morning tea which he was about to serve his lord. _

_"Watch it, you damn brat!" The collided soldier slapped his anger onto the boy's face, knocking the kid down against the wall. "Don't you ever run into me again or else! Brat like you shouldn't even be here. I don't know what the Lord is thinking, keeping you around the main force." _

_"Shh…, you shouldn't say things like that. What if the Lord hears you? He'll punish you for dishonoring his order." Another soldier warned his samurai's friend as they walked past the boy, leaving the kid scrabbling down onto his legs. _

_"What do I care? Lord Shingen has no time to give us any shit. He wouldn't have any time to care about us nameless soldiers." _

_"But the General would and from what I'd heard it was him who suggested in keeping the boy here serving as a Page for the Lord. I'd also heard rumors that the General had killed some ruthless soldiers a while back when the boy first arrived here from the Hojo clan and was abused by those soldiers." _

_"General Danjou Nosuke is one of Lord Shingen most loyal retainer. If it wasn't for him, we'd probably lost our head during the fourth battle against Kenshin's force at Saijoyama. He's a clever and respectable man and one of the top General. Why would he pity such a worthless piece of trash? Maybe he enjoys tight little asses." The soldier snickered. _

_"But, I'd thought he and Lord Shingen were…, you know practicing shudo. Everyone with the right eyes and ears could see their affection and how they address each other." _

_"That's the more reason why he would fuck little holes." _

_"Watch your mouth, he's coming this way." The soldiers zipped their conversation as they past the approaching General. _

_The General had eyed them from afar, seeing the two men mumbling something suspicious and not too far behind them was the Page Boy kneeling down to pick up his broken kettle, which was swimming in pieces on the floor. Once he reached the soldiers, he halted them at sight. "Men, what is your business advancing to the main quarter?" _

_The soldiers stopped and responded to their superior. "General, Sir! We're here to inform the Lord that the Uesugi has sent a messenger. He's asking for permission to speak to the Lord." _

_"Take him to the guest quarter. I'm on my way to meet Lord Shingen; I'll let him know about the messenger." _

_"Yes sir!" _

_"Good, carry on." He dismissed the soldiers and quickly found his vision locked back onto the troubling sight ahead of him. Instead of finding his lord, he headed down the corridor to find the boy still cleaning the puddles of tea on the floor. _

_As the soldiers left further in distance, one of them whispered, "I've told you he likes little holes." _

_The General stopped when he found the boy within a foot of his reach. He noticed a blemish on the boy's right cheek. "Saburo, what happen to your face?" _

_"Nothing, I fell while fetching the pail of water this morning." He lied. He didn't want the General to worry. _

_"…Really? If you don't want to tell me, then I'm not going to force you, but you should if you don't want to get hurt again. You know that I'll protect you, right? So, don't be afraid of telling me anything." _

_"I'm fine really. You've done enough. You've been looking after me for two years now. I'm so glad that a man of your statue even care to talk to a lousy servant like myself." The young boy tilted his head up and sent the concerned General a smile. _

_The General bent down onto a knee and rubbed a thumb on the boy's check. "You shouldn't lower yourself like that after all you are the son of Lord Ujiyasu Hojo." _

_"Please don't. I'm ashamed to speak of that name." _

_"Saburo." The older man felt sorry for the younger boy, "If I had come earlier that night, then you would have been spare of this misery." _

_"General, this body of mine maybe a child, but of the two years that I've been here, my mind had matured faster than it should have. I've seen so much blood and death. I'm not afraid of pain anymore. Flesh wound is nothing compare to my…" The boy stopped abruptly, thinking that he shouldn't share too much of his personal feelings. After all, the General was still a Takeda. "I've been through a lot, none that I'm proud of, but I have to live and to live on, I shall bear anything that fate has set forth for me." _

_"You're a strong one." _

_"Thank you. One day, I promise to pay you back for everything." _

_"No, I should thank you." The kind General smiled. "Go get another pot of tea ready, you don't want to keep him waiting for too long." _

_The boy returned a bright smile and ran off to brew another kettle of Japanese green tea. _

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_"It's been over two years since our last battle with Kenshin. The war is not over yet and each army is advancing at its own pace. What is he thinking sending a messenger now? What good can this do for him?" The Takeda's warlord uttered repulsively while handing his tea cup to his Page Boy for a second helping. _

_"What should we do with the messenger? Shouldn't we at least hear what he has to say?" The General asked, sitting across to the right of his lord. _

_"No, there is no need for measly talk. Talking makes no difference whatsoever." _

_"But, My Lord… what if he's here to make peace with us?" _

_"Kousaka, how long have you been with me? Over these years, you should have known me by now. This is our chance to glory! Kenshin as I know him; he will never see politic my way. An alliance between our two armies will never happen." _

_"I understand. We are still at war and our troops are always ready and prepare to battle at any time." _

_"Good! It will be a battle to the end. Let's discuss our battle tactic and deployment plan tonight. I have the feeling that another battle is coming forth." _

_The General nodded his response with a slight beam; it was too little to be a smile, but too much to hide his delight. _

_"And per the messenger, kill him." _

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_It was dark night. _

_Cold. _

_Something horrible was about to happen. Saburo lay in his bed and couldn't sleep. The sense of danger rose as he kept quiet under his cover; he couldn't stop thinking about the messenger who was about to die for no reason at all. What should he do? He was just a kid and killing the enemy was the right thing to do during war time, right? The boy continued to fight his conscience, but the more he thought about it, the more he found the urge to do something. Why was he feeling this way? Was it because he knew someone was about to die? No, there was something else in the air. Something was about to pollute the air tonight. Something lethal. _

_He decided to at least warn the man. He took caution and carefully left his servant's quarter in the dark. He found the messenger's room, but with no guard in front of the door. It was odd. He thought that they would at least be guarding the messenger to avoid his retreat, but nevertheless, he sneaked his way and entered the room. As he entered the dark room, the concentration of air thickened; he felt his heart race every step he took further to carry out his sense of justice. In this room, rest a man from the opposing side, an enemy, a person that he shouldn't care to know or to save for any particular reason, but something in his guts was telling him that what he was about to do was right. He found the table in the center of the room and lit up the lantern on top of it. As the room got lit, from the corner of his eyes he saw a spark, which caught his immediate attention. He turned around and there stood before him was a tall young man in a samurai uniform with one hand holding onto the sheath of his sword while the other one was ready to draw the sharp weapon. _

_'A boy? Why did Shingen send a boy?' The young messenger thought silently, bewildered by Shingen's intention. He'd been waiting an entire day to speak to the opposing warlord about their intention of battle, to give Shingen a chance to surrender before another bloody war commence. After a long day of waiting, Shingen sent a kid to him. Something felt wrong, yet he dropped his guard and approached the young boy vigilantly. _

_The boy stood still, he knew better not to be panicky and observed the approaching man. The young man in the samurai armor was probably in his early twenties, tall and slender with the brightest pair of eyes staring at him. There was something about those eyes, canning and warm. As the man completely revealed himself in the light, the young boy couldn't help but stared at the most attractive man that he had ever laid eyes on. He blushed, "I'm ah… I'm here to…" Noises from outside paused the boy from completing his thoughts. He instantly blew out the light, which he'd just lit and took the messenger's hand, pulling him down to his knees. _

_"What are you doing?" The young messenger asked softly. _

_Odd. The boy thought. What a strange combination for a young man like him? That voice of his was deep and dry, it didn't fit him, yet it carried something that he couldn't explain. "You're in danger. You should leave now while you still can." _

_"Why are you telling me this? Aren't you with the Takeda?" _

_"…" The boy didn't know how to reply to that question. Currently, he was under the care of the Takeda, but he didn't consider himself as one of them or at least not completely. _

_Seeing the boy didn't want to answer his question; the messenger tried another attempt, "What's your name kid?" _

_"I'm…" _

_More noises rattled from outside and soldiers were scattering, "What's happening?" A soldier asked. _

_"We're going to war!" Another soldiers replied. "Everyone is to gather into formation right now. Hurry up and report to the General." _

_"Please just leave… I need to get back to my place." The boy whispered quickly as more voices advanced to the messenger's room. The messenger escaped through the window while the boy sneaked away through the door. _

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_"General Sir! The messenger is gone!" A soldier reported in the middle of the formation. _

_"Gone? It must be the commotion. He must have sensed danger and left. Smart bastard." _

_"Where is Saburo? Have anyone seen him?" The General asked the scattering soldiers. _

_"No Sir!" _

_"General, I'm right here." The boy showed himself. _

_"What are you doing out of your quarter so late at night?" _

_"I couldn't sleep. What's happening? Why is everyone gathering?" _

_"War is commencing. I want you to leave this place immediately." _

_"But, I can't. I have no place to go to." _

_"Go home. Go back to your clan." _

_"What about you?" _

_"I'm a soldier. I must fight. This is where I belong. You don't belong here. Use the skills that I've taught you and leave this place before it becomes a massacre." _

_"Sir…" The boy felt grateful to the General. In some ways, he felt attached to the General as if they were brothers. _

_"Give him a sword." The General ordered. "Take it." The boy took the sword. "Good boy." The General was pleased as he gave the little boy a farewell smile. "We shall meet again. Take care of yourself." _

_"General, but I…" It was difficult for the boy to leave. _

_"Goodbye, Saburo. You're a bright boy. Don't waste your life here. Go! Leave now!" _

_With nothing else to say, the boy drew a deep breath, tears filmed at the corner of his eyes as he ran, feeling like a deserter to the Takeda clan, but the thought of seeing his family again kept him on his feet. _

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"Kagetora? You're crying…" Naoe was at ease to find a responsive feature from his lord's frozen body. He wiped the tears from his lord's eyes. "What's wrong? What's happening to you?"

"Naoe." Haruie slid the door and came inside the room, holding a bowl of soup. "You should eat something. You haven't eaten since yesterday." She placed the soup on the side table in the room.

"I'm not hungry."

"Don't be stubborn! Eat or else I'll shove it down your neck."

He returned her demand with a glare, dull yet spiteful at the same time expressing his discontentment.

She sighed, "Kagetora will not be happy to see you like this. I mean, how can you take care of anyone in your condition. If you love him, then you should take care of yourself. Eat, get better and care for him. Naoe, you know that I'm right. You're a much brighter person than this. This is not like you to…"

"Haruie, stop… I know what I'm doing. I'm a foolish man. Have I not been for over 400 years? Another day like this will not kill me."

"But… to save him you must…" She suddenly stopped, realized and didn't want to tell him any further about the option which they had.

"What? What do I must do? Kagetora is dieing, isn't he? He's not responding to what I've been saying to him. I can't detect the strength of his spirits, but I could feel him slipping away from me. What's happening to him?"

"I…" She looked away, trying to sneak away her worried face, "I don't know."

"Haruie!" Naoe broke away from his lord and managed his weight on his shaking legs. "You know something, don't you?"

"Nothing…, he's just very weak now and needs more time to rest."

"Don't lie to me?" He stepped forward and grabbed hold of her arm. "I have the right to know everything, everything that pertains to my Kagetora. His mine. His mine, Haruie. I have the every right to know his condition."

"Don't be reckless." She pulled her arm away. "I know that you're worrying about him, but please take care of yourself. He'll be… okay."

"How could I? How do you expect me to rest when I don't know what's happening to him? I need to know. I have to know." His legs failed him and dropped him back down onto his knees.

"Naoe…"

"Tell me." He pleaded looking up at her, lost and desperate.

"Kagetora's spirit is lost somewhere within his own vassal and to save him, we may have to penetrate his body to retrieve his soul."

Naoe sat silently trying to register every word that Haruie was explaining to him. She had also knelt down to embrace her quiet friend into her arms.

"We have discussed the possibility with Lord Masamune. If it is necessary, we will perform the soul retrieval spell. Lord Masamune, Lord Kojiro and I will form a triangle formation around Chiaki and transfer our spiritual energy through him and send his soul inside of Kagetora's body. Once he enters Kagetora's body, he will try to find Kagetora and pull him back out."

He broke away from her, "No, Chiaki can't do that."

"Why not?"

"If anyone were to enter Kagetora, then it should be me."

"We know that the best person to enter a victim's body is the one closest to his heart, but in your condition, there is no way that we can send you in. Your chances of survival are questionable."

"I don't care! He's My Lord… He's my… love. I have to do this."

"But…"

"Haruie!" Serious, forlorn, acute eyes stared at her. "You know that I must do this. I cannot let anyone else take my place. You understand that, don't you?"

"I do… and that's why I'm afraid that you might…"

"I might what? Kill myself?" He smirked with delight, a smile which Haruie hadn't seen for so long. "I have waited for so long for him to open up to me. There is no force in this entire world that could separate us. I shall save him and I shall return to him."

"Naoe… you're an idiot. You know that?"

"I know, but I can't help it. I'd been through too much to let him go." Formulation of joy filled him and soon it became a thin stream of liquid escaping from the corners of his eyes. "If I haven't been an idiot, if I haven't been a fool to love him so much, then I would never have survived this 400 year long nightmare. Every moment with him is torture. Every time he allows me to hold him, I have doubts, but at the same time I feel an unexplainable bond that keep us together. I have lived this long to hope and to dream that one day Kagetora will come back to me with open heart."

Haruie had known Naoe for centuries and of course she knew how he felt attached to Kagetora. She felt sorry for the fool he was, but at the same she envied him; he could love and hate the same person for hundred of years, he could suffered in agony yet willing die for the that very same person who tortured him; he was a man with many emotion. There couldn't be another man alive that could be measured up to him.

She drew a breath and wrapped her arms around his head with hope and the purest intention; she comforted him, "I'm sure that day will come."

"It will and I shall live to see it."

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: Okay, I have to admit that I've watched MOB more then 10 times now and still I don't get it! They should make another series, seriously!

(Sigh) Huh… enough with my whining… back to the fic… There will be more and more flashes until Kagetora is rescued. It should get more interesting once Naoe enters Kagetora's conscious. And if you're wondering about smut… this is MOB, so of course there will be some, but don't expect too much of it. If all you're interested in is smut, then my fic is not for you. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy reading it, but writing it is not my thing. I'm just not good at it. What motivated me to write this story in the first place were the missing pieces of Naoe/Takaya (Kagetora) relationship. Yet, MOB will not be complete without a lemon scene, so toward the end I will try to write a special one for our favorite pair. This is no where near the end yet, probably the middle, so please hang around until then.

Once again, I would like to thank KaraQ, Kairiucci, shadowdreamer Ldy Fate, Belladona-Isabella, Crimsonbloodvampire, Rodick and vegetasprincess1 for your kind reviews.

**Term **

Saijoyama – A mountain in the west of Shinano Province where the fourth battle of Kawanakajima took place. The war of Kawanakajima consisted of a total of 5 battles; the Takeda was victorious over Kenshin's force according to what was recorded in history.

Shudo – A Japanese tradition of homosexual relationship between two males in the medieval period. It's a respectable and beautiful way of showing affection between male lovers.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 **

After Naoe's discussion with Haruie regarding their lord's condition. He agreed to wait a little longer in hope that Kagetora would pull himself out of his sleep. He also agreed to try to nourish himself better for the day if necessary he would enter his lord's body and retrieve the lost soul.

"You have more color today." Lord Masamune complimented the younger man's complexion as he entered Kagetora's room.

"Thank you. It's all happening because of your great healing power. The Date clan has always been known for your sacred purifying and healing powers."

"No, it's you. You'd made this happened. You'd pulled it through by yourself. I could see that most of your strength is back. I'm glad for you."

"I have to get better for him." Naoe bluntly expressed his reason as he peek a glance at his lord still lying in bed.

"You love him very much."

"Yes, I do. He's the only purpose for my existence." Naoe said with ease as he ran his fingers along Takaya's face. "He's beautiful. I love him more than anything, more than my own life." His hand sought for his lord's chest, resting it there to feel the boy's pounding heart vibrating against his right palm. "Tell me something, is loving someone a weakness? I was told long ago that a man shouldn't have any weaknesses. Am I wrong for loving My Lord? Am I wrong to die for him and to risk everything for him? Because of him…, I've become so weak."

"I disagree. How can we call ourselves men if we don't have a core to drive our every motive? Life itself has no meaning without it. From what I've seen through out the years, when it comes to deal with complicated situations, men often try to hide their weaknesses under a fabricated mask, but that doesn't mean that they wouldn't break. Everyone and everything has its weak point. And, you're not weak, not at all. You're strong. It takes a man great courage to admit his weakness."

"…" Naoe remained silent; he didn't know how to register that comment. If he was strong, then why did he felt so weak and so pathetic? He couldn't even protect his lord from Oda in their last encounter.

Lord Masamune assured Naoe by placing a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "You've survived all these years, haven't you? In loving him; it has made you strong. Those scars on your left wrist prove it."

Naoe held his bandaged wrist in his right palm and pulled it to his chest. It was true. In holding onto his love and believed that there was still hope with Kagetora; he had continued to live for over 400 years. 400 years he loved, 400 years he hated, and 400 years he suffered; all for one day, for Kagetora to realize that everything he'd done was for one reason and one person alone. It was all for Kagetora.

Releasing his touch, Lord Masamune calmly carried on the conversation, "I don't know the depth of your past, but from the little that I've known you've had a complicated one. Whatever happened cannot be change, so don't dwell on it. You should focus on what lies ahead."

Naoe had always known that the past couldn't be change, yet it could still drive the future. Without his past he would never loved Kagetora and because of his past he could never let Kagetora go. He loved him too much to get go, "Kagetora…" Naoe braced his fingers over the sleeping boy's lips. "I'd told Haruie that I'll live to see that day. The day that Kagetora would open his heart and forgive me for every sin that I'd committed. Do you think that he'll ever forgive me?"

"…"

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have asked you that. No one, but he could give me a satisfy answer to that question." Naoe took both of Kagetora's hands, placing them on top of the boy's navel above the blanket with his own webs securing them. He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath before he ignored everything around him and softly spoke to his lord. "Kagetora, didn't you say that you wanted to meet me halfway? Come back to me. I need you to confirm it. And, I need to know… after all these years, have you forgiven me? Have you ever found it in your heart to love me again? For 400 years, I've longed and I've waited to hear those words from you once again. Please… wake up… talk to me… tell me that… you love me."

The sleeping boy didn't answer.

Holding his tears, he called to his lord once more, "Kagetora…" but his voice was so dried; it was barely noticeable. Squeezing his lord's hands in his grip, he continued, "After so many years, I'm still a fool aren't I? I could never understand you, Kagetora…" The trembling in his voice stopped as he gritted his teeth tightly along with his wrinkled eyes. After a short pause, his voice returned, yet he looked at the sleeping boy, but voiced his words to the Date's leader, "Lord Masamune, can do me a favor?"

"What is it?" The older man replied still standing behind Naoe's back the entire time.

"Two more days, if he doesn't come back in two days, then I'll go in and get him. If the soul retrieval spell fails, promise me… not to let Kagetora come back in. I want you to promise me that."

Without having a second thought, Lord Masamune agreed. "I promise." He and Naoe both knew the chances of Naoe getting back were close to none; they could only wish for the best, but they couldn't leave out the possibility for the worst. In accepting Naoe's request, both men agreed that saving Kagetora was their primary goal.

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_"The sky is so clear tonight." _

_"I can't believe that you're leaving us again." _

_"I will always remember this night; the crisp air and the cold wind on my face." The young man inhaled the night air while closing his eyes to crave into his memory the scenic of his home land. _

_"Saburo, why are you avoiding my concern?" _

_"Brother Ujiteru, this is yet again my fate. I've accepted it. There is no need to worry about me. I've grown up. I'm no longer that young and ignorant little boy as I was seven years ago." _

_"You've changed, Saburo… so much that I'm not sure if I should be happy or sad about it." _

_"The wave is so calm tonight. It must to a good sign of peace." Saburo cast his vision on the calm sea with the twinkling stars reflecting on its surface. "Let's enjoy our last night together. This time tomorrow, I shall carry out another task for our clan." He said proudly, but deep inside doubts were troubling him. What would happen to him this time around? It had been five years since the last time he was sent off to another clan. Would the same misfortune be waiting for him? Or would fate be in his favor and be nice to him for once? _

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_The next night… _

_"Lord Kenshin." A guard entered the Uesugi's main conference hall to inform his lord. "The hostage from Hojo has arrived and he's waiting for permission to meet you, My Lord." _

_"AH… yes, send him in." Lord Kenshin said eagerly. "I've heard the boy is one of Lord Ujiyasu's sons. He's name is Ujihide. He's also known as Saburo. Have you ever heard of him?" _

_"No, My Lord, I have never heard or seen of him, but if he is to be your adopted son, my guess that he'll be a fine boy." A reply from one of Lord Kenshin most loyal General. _

_"My thought exactly. I have a very good feeling with this alliance. I'm expecting no less from the son of Ujiyasu Hojo." _

_The General nodded his agreement as he turned around and caught the boy walking in, escorted by the guard from earlier. 'That boy…' _

_'It's him.' Saburo thought as he entered the main conference hall of the Uesugi clan. Standing in the center, beside the Lord of Uesugi was a man he never expected to see again. Kneeling down to show his respect, he greeted the Uesugi's warlord, "It's an honor to meet you, My Lord. I am Saburo Hojo and from this day forth, I shall serve you as your faithful son in honor of our two clan's alliance." _

_"Good, well said. Lift your head up and let me see your face son." _

_Saburo complied and lifted his head, but his eyes caught a glimpse of the man standing beside the lord instead. 'He's definitely the same man.' _

_At that same second of exchange, the General also thought silently to himself, 'He looks familiar. Where have I met him?' _

_Kenshin examined the boy and was pleased to find some quality casting from the boy's eyes: sharpness and strength. "Saburo Hojo?" _

_"Yes, My Lord." _

_"From today forward, you will address me as father." _

_Saburo was baffled, 'Is he seriously adopting me as a son?' he thought quietly. _

_"And from today on, you'll be known as Kagetora Uesugi, the one and only son of Kenshin Uesugi." _

_Saburo still kneeling down, confused by what was happening. He looked at Kenshin who had turned his head over to speak to his right hand man. _

_"Naoe, see to it that Kagetora get settle in and make sure that he gets escorted to his adoption ceremony. I shall announce his arrival to everyone." _

_"It'll be my honor, My Lord. I shall personally escort Lord Kagetora to his welcome party." Naoe replied and cast the boy a gentle smile. _

_'His smile.' The boy received it. There was a charm to it that he didn't understand, something beneath that smile, something which cause his heart raced rapidly as he imprinted that look into his memory. _

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_Two years later… _

_Saburo had buried his birth name and lived on as Kagetora Uesugi for slightly over two years. He had become a strong samurai warrior; sharpened both his leadership and swordsmanship skills with every day combat training and constant battles between the Takeda and other uprising armies. When there were no trainings or bloody battles, he would enjoy his time with the General he admired, but today something was bothering him. _

_"Why should I be so concern about it? After all he's a man and of course a man of his age and look should have…" A heavy sigh found Kagetora. He had just learned that the General, whom he looked up to, was married for quite some time, but he had never spoken about it. "What's the matter with me?" He threw a few pebbles into the running stream in front of him. He felt pathetic. Why did he felt like that? He had no idea, but he shouldn't be like that. If anyone were to catch him moping over something so ridiculous, it would give him a bad image, but he could careless. Not many people would wander into the forest, so it was a perfect place for him to visit whenever he needed time alone or felt depress. This place of tranquility and pure Mother Nature had always calmed his mind and spirit. _

_He continued to sit near the edge of the running stream, staring at the strong current running down rapidly, slashing against his invaded fingers. The water felt cold, the season was changing, the wind got hastier and the coats on the trees were fallen apart, painting the ground with yellow and orange. _

_"Lord Kagetora." _

_Without turning his head back, he knew exactly who it was. _

_"I'd thought that I would find you here. Lord Kenshin asked me to look for you. You know that the ceremony is today right?" _

_"I know…" _

_"Why are you out here all alone? And you're dressing so lightly… let's go back to the castle together." _

_That was always like him, to be concerned and thoughtful; he had been looking after Kagetora all these time. Kagetora couldn't help it, but had grown attached to the kind General. Often times during training, their eyes would meet and Kagetora would feel so intimidated by them, yet at the same time inspired by them. _

_The General gently patted his lord's right shoulder, "Let's go. You don't want to be late." _

_Kagetora turned his head slightly back, meeting the General's grayish purple eyes from the corner of his black ones. _

_The General jerked back and released his touch, 'Why is he looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong?' _

_Kagetora returned to his previous position. His light kimono danced its fabric in the wind as he stared at the running water. "Naoe, I… I want some time alone. I'll be back in time for the ceremony. Don't worry about me." _

_Naoe didn't understand what was occupying the young man's head, yet he complied and headed back to the castle alone. _

_"Geesh… you don't have to be so obedience." Kagetora said as the older man left him behind. He hugged himself, "I shouldn't let this get to me." _

_After another hour or so, Kagetora decided to return. After all he was the only son of Kenshin Uesugi and it would be improper of him to be absent at the ceremony in welcoming a new member to the family. His father had decided to adopt another son to the family and this person was no other than his current cousin, Kiheiji Nagao. From today on, he would have a younger brother and Kagekatsu Uesugi would be his brother's new name. _

_Pulling himself up, he dusted off his bottom and heaved a sigh as he paced forward. Before he was able to leave the stream and trees behind, a shadow appeared from nowhere and caught the corner of his eyes. Kagetora instantly reached for his sword and scoped for the sneaking shadow. "Who's there? If you call yourself a man, then show yourself!" He demanded. _

_"Lord Saburo." _

_Kagetora hadn't heard that name for a while. Who could it be? _

_"My Lord…" Jump out was a shadow in black kneeling before him. Kagetora didn't recognize the figure, but stood still and allowed the man to continue his greeting. "I brought news from Hojo." _

_"Hojo? What kind of news?" _

_"As you may have known Lord Ujiyasu passed away recently." _

_"Yes, I attended his funeral." _

_"Then you're aware that Lord Ujimasa has taken over the Hojo clan. As the head of the clan, he has ordered me to seek for you and to deliver you this letter. It's an order from Lord Ujimasa. You have one month to complete it." _

_"But I…" Before Kagetora could complete his thought the mysterious man disappeared. He held the sealed letter and gripped it tightly in his hand, "Should I read it…? What do they want from me now? Haven't I done enough?" _

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_The next day… _

_"Draw your sword, Naoe!" Kagetora demanded. _

_Naoe immediately drew his sword to defend himself from the attacking Kagetora. "What have gotten into you?" He asked his lord boldly. _

_"… Fight me!" _

_"You're not making any sense." _

_"Fight back or you'll die!" Kagetora pushed forward, positioning himself right above his sword, pushing against Naoe's strength. _

_Naoe also pushed back, forcing the boy to jump backward as he swung his sword. "Lord Kagetora!" _

_Kagetora didn't stop nor pause for any second, he immediately advanced and ran back to attack the General. They exchanged blow after blow of intense sword contact. Kagetora swung right, Naoe douched to the left, Kagetora swung left and Naoe douched to the right. _

_"Are you insane? Why are you acting so reckless?" _

_"Damn you, Naoe! Why does it always have to be you?" Kagetora continued his wrath as the fight became more aggressive. _

_The extreme sparks and clanking woke up the others within the main quarters where Kenshin and his higher ranking vassals rested. Kagekatsu, the new adopted brother of Kagetora found himself witnessed what he called an 'amusing fight'. "Do they always practice this early in the morning?" He asked another General who happened to be there at the same moment. _

_"No, I'd never seen they fight like this?" He answered. _

_"Aren't you General Nagahide?" _

_"Yes, My Lord." _

_"I'm Nagahide Yasuda of the Uesugi Army. I served as one of your father's retainer." _

_"I see." Kagekatsu returned his attention to the fight. "Who do you think would win this fight?" _

_"Well, I have to say that Kagetora's swordsmanship has outwitted both mine and Naoe, but something seems wrong with him today." _

_"Really?" As Kagekatsu observed the fight, he noticed Kagetora's expression wore a pinch of sadness with every stroke. Kagetora wielded his blade strongly, yet at the same time it hauled so much weight; it almost seemed as if his sword wouldn't dance with him. "Humph…?" _

_"NAOE!" Kagetora had aimed his sword exactly above Naoe's left chest. _

_The man blocked it with all his strength and swung his blade forward. Kagetora fell back a step and Naoe took advantage of it, running his feet forward and forcing Kagetora against a concrete pillar in the court yard. "What's wrong with you?" _

_Staring at his own reflection, Kagetora's upsetting eyes gazed into Naoe's perplexed ones. _

_Naoe couldn't make out what was bothering his lord, but those eyes were very disturbing to him. _

_Kagetora soon replaced those disturbing eyes with half a smile as he chuckled lightly. He dropped his body down and he spun his leg beneath, but Naoe once again escaped him. As Kagetora twisted his body back up, spinning a 360, his long ponytail followed him, yet the ribbon which held it together had somehow loosened itself and his lock of black hair slowly twirled in the air as it caressed his face when he made his stand. At the same time he stood up a sharp blade was placed directly beside his neck. _

_Naoe, while catching his breath was staring at his young lord. There was something different about the young man before him. It caused his heart race for the very first time. "Why?" he asked breathlessly, "You could have won easily if you weren't being so reckless?" _

_Kagetora looked away as he saw Kagekatsu and Nagahide at the other side watching his defeat. He sighed and walked away picking up his blue indigo ribbon and left the court yard. He left the castle and found himself sitting on top of rock staring again at the running river. In his hand held his ribbon and in his mind repeated the words from the letter he received yesterday, 'Saburo… As a member of Hojo, you will carry out your mission as requested. We want to take back Odawara Castle. We've made all the preparation. Now, we need your help in regards to the Uesugi Army. We need you to stir up the army's moral and kill Kenshin's right hand man.' _

_Clinching his fists together, "Why me?" _

_"Kagetora…" _

_'It's him.' _

_"What's wrong? Why are you fighting like that? It seemed as if you'd lost your mind and the basic rules of fighting." _

_He sighed, "Just leave me alone, Naoe." Straightening his ribbon, Kagetora tied his hair up back into a ponytail. _

_"I've heard words that the Takeda are making plans for an ambush. Lord Kenshin is planning to dispatch our army before the Takeda attacks. This is not the time to lose your focus. Another battle is coming and your soldiers need you to direct them." _

_"When would these fights ever end? Why do we fight? All we ever do is fight. Isn't it our objective to save our people and to protect them, but don't the other clans have the same reasons? Or is it, territory and power that everyone seeks? Why is that so important?" _

_"Why do you ask such trivial questions now? What is it do you fight for?" _

_"I… I don't know. I used to think that my existence was purely to serve my people, to protect them and to have their best interest in mind. I'd been obedience and had done everything that was asked of me, but as time past by I had doubts. I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Who am I fighting for? The Hojo or the Uesugi?" _

_"You're fighting for yourself." _

_"Am I?" Kagetora had been so involved with the Uesugi. He felt that he belong here. Up to now, everything that he did was either for the Hojo or the Uesugi. He had never fight or done anything for himself. Why must Hojo ask him to pull away now and kill the one person he admired the most? He couldn't decide what to do. _

_Naoe stood beside his young master as he stared into the vast forest in front of him. Clearly his lord was disturbed by something. Kagetora was acting out of character, but Naoe didn't take it as any sign of serious grief or heartache. He took it as something which every man had gone through at least one in their life to decide his own path and take responsibility for his own destiny. As Kagetora calmed himself quietly in his own thoughts, Naoe gently voiced his perception, "Every man has his own reason to fight. Just follow your heart and you'll be fine." _

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**End of Chapter **

Smile: Have I bored you yet? I apologize if the flashes confuse you, but this is my intention from the start to insert a few scenes from the past to describe how Kagetora and Naoe come to know each other. I will put together as many scenes as I feel necessary to tell my story, but don't expect me to write a 400 year long story. I'll leave that challenge for another writer. I'll skip and jump around from one year to another. The time lapse could be anywhere from one year to five years to ten years or even a few hundred years. No matter how well or poor I'm taking this story, please keep in mine that everything is made up with my little imagination.

Regarding the OVA, I've watched it, but like the anime, it didn't satisfy my hunger. I still want more. The complexity of this series kept my interest alive. It's a shame that they didn't produce more. If I know how to read and write Japanese, I would willingly translate the novel and manga and whatever is available out there for all of us Fan Girls. Too bad, I don't know the language. I'm having a hard time with English and my own native tongue. English is my second language, but it's the only language that I know how to read and write, pitiful isn't it?

**Name **

General Danjou Nosuke is Kousaka. His long name is Kousaka Danjou Nosuke Masanobu (from the chapter 8 if anyone were wondering or confused)

Kagetora Uesugi is also known as Saburo Hojo or Ujihide Hojo and finally now as Takaya Ougi.

Kiheiji Nagao is Kagekatsu Uesugi, Kenshin's nephew and Kagetora's younger adopted brother.


	10. Chapter 10

Warning: Rape…it could be unpleasant for some readers.

**Chapter 10 **

****

_One month later… _

_Kagetora was still flustered between the two clans, no matter what choice he made he would have to betray one. He had never thought of disobeying a direct order from the Hojo clan, but this last assignment was out of the question. How could be possibly wield his sword against Naoe again? The last time he tried, it was a complete failure. Why? He didn't understand why, but there was definitely something, something unseen to the naked eye, yet strong enough to hold him back. _

_During this time, the Uesugi had gathered in great numbers. Kagetora had been occupied with training and gathering his soldiers in preparation for battle. With this going on, he was able to avoid Naoe as much as possible, so he didn't have to think about the man. _

_The time of hiding had come to an end. The day had come. A new battle awaited for them. The Uesugi had just learned that the Takeda army had camped about 30 miles away from the Odawara castle. This meant war and they were prepared and ready for another hard on combat. _

_Lord Kenshin sent his finest Generals along with 12,000 men to greet their enemy. He intended to get rid of the Takeda's army once and for all. Kagetora, Naoe and Nagahide would each command one-third of the troops; soldiers armed with swords, archery and Calvary were all in line formations and ready to march forward. _

_Forward they marched and set camp nearby a river within 5 miles of the enemy range where they could use the tall and bushy trees as their camouflage. Night fell and everyone settled down for a brief rest until their Commanders gave them specific order to advance. _

_The three Generals gathered together to confirm their strategy. From a reliable source, they knew the exact location of the enemy where about. The plan was simple, old but still commonly used. Kagetora and his men would sneak in while it was still dark and penetrate the enemy's force early in the morning, creating a diversion to split their army apart into two or three smaller groups. Naoe and Nagahide would follow behind and wait for Kagetora's signals. _

_After the brief discussion, Kagetora needed some fresh air to calm his suffocated lungs from holding his breath in Naoe's presence. Standing under the moonlight, he inhaled the cool air. 'What's wrong with me?' He asked himself silently while staring at the brightness casting over his shoulders. 'I can't avoid this situation forever. What should I do now?' He heaved a sigh. _

_Stepping out of the tent, Naoe found his young lord standing in the dark by himself. "Is something wrong My Lord Kagetora?" _

_"My Lord?" He snickered softly at the choice of words before turning around to give the older man a reply. "I want to enjoy a peaceful moment before walking into another battle." _

_"Are you okay with this setup? I mean it would be better for either Nagahide or I to infiltrate the enemy and you stay here at camp and wait." _

_"No, it's my duty as an Uesugi's soldier and Commander. I have to do it." _

_"But… it's too dangerous." _

_"When is war not dangerous?" _

_"…" The question left Naoe with nothing else to say, but to stare at his lord. _

_A sly smile found the younger man's face. "Are you worried about me?" He asked teasingly. _

_"I… of course, I'm worried. You're safety is crucial to our clan. You're the heir of Lord Kenshin Uesugi." _

_"So that's it. The only reason why you've been so protective of me is because of father." Kagetora's voice sounded a bit sour. _

_Naoe couldn't understand what was triggering his lord's recent attitude. Whatever it was, it was making him feeling a bit uneasy as well. "Yes," he answered, "Lord Kenshin has asked me to follow you and the make sure that your safety is guarantee. He loves you." _

_"I know." Kagetora agreed quickly, yet he didn't sound very delighted. "Father is… loving. He cares for me as if I'm his natural born son. Well, then… I guess it's time for me to depart now." With nothing more to say, Kagetora left Naoe standing behind and gathered his soldiers. _

_The battle began… _

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"Naoe, are you ready?" Haruie asked the man sitting in the center of the triangle formation.

"I've been ready for 400 years." He replied.

Two days past and Kagetora still had no sign of recovery. The soul retrieval spell was their last option to save their lord. The triangle formation was set with Haruie and Chiaki sitting diagonal, facing Naoe's front and Lord Kojiro sitting exactly behind facing Naoe's back.

"Naoe, once we send your spirit inside of Kagetora, you have three days to pull both Kagetora's soul and yourself out." Lord Masamune advised.

"I understand."

Lord Masamune continued, "We'll keep your bodies together, so when the soul returned they won't get lost."

"I'll save him no matter what." Naoe said while casting another glance at his lord. 'Wait for me; I'm coming in to get you.'

"Naoe, you remember the chanting for the spell from Lord Masamune's instruction, right?" Chiaki asked.

The man in the center nodded.

"On my count of three, we'll concentrate our energy and send them into your body. You should also start chanting the spell at the same time."

"Understood." He complied and closed his eyes.

"Okay. One. Two. And three!"

All three person at each angle started generating their energy. Naoe sat in the center waiting patiently for the triangle to generate its power. Spiritual waves of pink, magenta and green generated from the three bodies and fused together as they spun a circle of rainbow and rose above the triangle formation. The circle spun its way down rotating around Naoe's body and back up, as it levitated past Naoe's head, it decreased in size and once the circle was a size of a tiara above Naoe's head, it disappeared completely. A pillar of energy immediately blasted from the center above Naoe's head and poured down directly into the man beneath it. The power was successful transferred into Naoe's body as he chanted the spell and relaxed his soul. Upon completion of the spell, Naoe's body fell backward and broke the triangle formation, pushing everyone from each angle against a wall. An orange spirit parted from Naoe's body and instantly found its way to the boy lying in bed.

It disappeared into the Takaya's body. Inside Takaya's body, the spell brought Naoe directly to the boy's conscious state; his other universe.

Naoe couldn't see anything not even his own fingers. He couldn't even feel his own feet touching the ground. He felt light as if he was a feather shifting slowly with the change of wind. He continued to flow, allowing the darkness to take him wherever it desired.

"Kagetora! Lord Kagetora!" He called, hoping to hear a response from his lost Kagetora. While calling out for the boy, Naoe tried to adjust his vision to see if there was any hope in seeing anything at all. There was no hope. It was just too dark, complete blackness.

After what seemed like forever, Naoe remembered that he could possibly sense his lord's spirit with his own. Believing in their 400 years of bondage, Naoe closed his eyes and concentrated his spiritual energy to locate Kagetora. An orange wave generated from his body as it twirled around its host like a snake and lighted up the darkness atmosphere.

With Naoe's energy rising, he was able to pickup another energy wave close by. Opening his eyes, he was able to see something sparkled from afar, weakly, but enough for him to notice it lay directly ahead of him. He quickly focused his power toward the spotted light and immediately his body was transported to it. The spark was nothing more that a ball of light somewhat like a crystal ball that shined so bleakly with vague images that made no sense to him at all.

Naoe touched it and immediately the ball brightened up and lay beneath it was a soul of whom he seek. He instantly directed his energy to manipulate the surrounding and aided him to his lord. Floating right on top, parallel to his lord's body, he eagerly touched his lord's face, "Kagetora…"

At that very moment when Naoe made contact with his lord's body, the ball of light shattered and the darkness pulled him down onto his feet. The shattered light gathered its particulars and the darkness became big screen right in front of his eyes. As the man looked at it, a display of Kagetora's memories were fast forwarding from the screen. "This is… This is Kagetora's memories." Disbelief seeped through the tone of his voice as he continued to stare at the huge display. "Are you seeing this right now? Is this why you've been sleeping so long, drowning in your own memories?" He asked the body in his arms. "Does this means that your memories are coming back to you?"

Naoe hugged Takaya's body tighter in his arms. Being unsure of the situation, he didn't know whether he should be happy or terrified that Takaya would soon remember everything and regained his entire past of Kagetora.

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_"Look General! There's the signal." A soldier pointed his finger up into the dark sky where a sizzling flare had colored it with a smoke of red mist. _

_"No! Why is it red?" Naoe couldn't believe his eyes; the signal should have been green. _

_"Something is wrong. No! It can't be." Nagahide turned his horse around as he quickly realized what was happening. "I'm going back to the castle. This must had been a trick to lure us out here. Lord Kenshin is in danger." _

_"Wait! What about Kagetora?" Naoe asked. _

_"He's given us the signal to retreat, so there is no reason why we should stay. We shouldn't delay any further. Lord Kenshin needs us!" Nagahide mandated with words with influence and directed their priority back to assist their lord in danger. _

_Naoe agreed with his comrade, but he couldn't leave Kagetora behind. "Take my men with you. I'm going after Kagetora." _

_"Naoe!" Before Nagahide was able to stop his companion, Naoe had ready galloped away on his horse toward his lord's direction. "You fool!" _

_oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo _

_Kagetora lay unconsciously on the field of battle; the last thing he remembered was a rain of arrows. Shooting arrows from nowhere fell down from the sky as they slaughtered his troops like insects. They had no time to react to the sudden ambush. It seemed as if the enemy were expecting them and knew the exact time and place to attack. _

_The plain was painted with a color of red, the redness which poured from the merciless death of his soldiers whom died in vain. Every single one of them killed. He failed to carry out this duty and brought death to everyone. Lying hopelessly on the field of four thousands men's death, he felt wretched. Why was he still alive? _

_It must had been hours before he heard foot steps and horses approached the horrid scene. Gathering his strength, he stood up leaning on his sword. _

_"So, you're still alive, Kagetora." _

_Greeted him was someone he didn't expect, "Ujimasa?" _

_The man snickered, "You should have been dead with the rest of them. That way you wouldn't have to witness such a horrible tragedy." _

_"Why, Ujimasa? Is this your doing?" _

_"I can't take any chances with you. I knew that you were too soft to kill anyone from the Uesugi clan. They had been too nice with you, so I plotted this whole scenario with the Takeda to lure your army here, too bad it's only about a third of you. I guess the rest of your army fled back to the castle, but don't you worry. I have a special treat for them there as well." _

_"No! How could you?" Kagetora could barely keep his knees from bending over. _

_"This is for the good of Hojo." _

_"Bullshit! This is wrong! You'd betrayed our alliance." _

_"Shut your mouth! You have no right to talk! You betray your clan! You didn't carry out your duty as required. You failed, Saburo. You're a disgrace to the Hojo clan." _

_"No! I've never betrayed Hojo. If father is still alive, you'll never get away with this." _

_"Father? Don't you ever think that he's any better than I. He used you just the same, to get what he wanted and to expand his powers. He doesn't care about you. Think about it. Why is it that it's always you, whom he sends away as a hostage to secure our alliances? It's because you're a worthless piece of shit. A plague, a son of bitch that father had fooled around with one heated night. You're nothing more than a trading tool for our clan to reach its ultimate goal…, to rule everything!" _

_Almost breaking in tears, Kagetora held his place. He couldn't believe that his own father would lie to him. "No, it's not true! You're lying!" _

_"But, it is. I've made peace with the Takeda and as we're speaking the rest of your army is probably struggling to find an escape route. Kenshin is also being under attack at the castle. First, I'll take back our castle, then I'll take Kenshin's head and then I'll get rid of all the other opposing armies and claim this entire kingdom as my own." _

_"You bastard!" Kagetora tried to wield his sword, but in his condition he couldn't even walk; the tip of his sword buried itself into the soil between him and his brother. He fell down on his left leg resting it on the ground while the other one was holding his position upward bending his right knee forward. _

_"Look at you. How pitiful you are? All you were ever good for was being a whore just like your mother." Ujimasa snickered. "That's probably how you got to where you are by fucking all the men in the Uesugi clan to climb the latter." _

_"Shut up! SHUT UP!" _

_"Good bye, Saburo. I don't think that our path will ever meet again." Still wearing a smug on his face, Ujimasa kicked his defenseless brother to the ground. "Do whatever you want to him. Just make sure that he's dead. I don't ever want to see him again." He ordered his attending soldiers and galloped off on his brown horse. _

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo _

_Feeling used and worthless, Kagetora had no more will to live, "Kill me!" He demanded from the Hojo's soldiers. _

_"You're a traitor to our clan." One of the three soldiers said. "We're not going to let you die that easily." _

_"Lord Ujimasa did say that we could do whatever we want with him." The second soldier said playfully as his eyes observed Kagetora's slender form. _

_"He must have something special to have come this far. Let's play with him a bit before he dies." The third soldier said and licked his lips. "We don't often come across such a rare exquisite like this one." _

_"Yeah…" The other two agreed hungrily. _

_"He's going to die sooner or later. Look at those arrowheads' wounds; he should be an easy prey." The second soldier stated the obvious. _

_"I wonder how good it would feel to be inside of him." The first soldier pondered as he licked the blood on Kagetora's cheek. _

_"You bastard! What are you think you're doing?" Unable to lift his limp, Kagetora managed to shook his head away from the soldiers. _

_"Shut up!" The first soldier slapped the cussing boy. "Take his hands!" He ordered the other two soldiers while he sat on the boy's legs and ripped off the remaining suit of armor. _

_"Take your filthy hands off me! GET OFF ME!" Kagetora tried to struggle, twisting, squirming his arms and legs, but the force of the three men against his weak and wounded body was too much for him to fight back. There was no way he was going to let this happen to him again and worst of all by his own people, men whom he once called family and men whom he suffered his first defeat and lost his innocent to protect them. He rather died than to endure such pain. Just as Kagetora was about to bite his tongue to end his miserable life, the soldier sitting on top of him had already rip off his undergarment and thrust it into his mouth. _

_"Stupid whore!" The man slapped him again on the other cheek. "Don't think that you can die on us that easily. We haven't had our fun with you yet." _

_"An easy death is too lenient for you. You're a jinx to our Hojo clan. A plague like you should suffer greatly before you die." The second man said. _

_"That's right! We'll fuck and humiliate you to your grave!" The third man laughed. _

_'MONSTERS!' Kagetora cried his heart out, but no one could hear him. _

_The monsters continued to laugh hideously at the boy. "Don't you ever blame us. It's your brother. He gave you to us. If you want to blame someone, blame yourself for your own failure." _

_"That's right. You're brother orders us to get rid of you." _

_"Don't you worry; we'll be nice and give you a little pleasure before you die." _

_Lifting the boy's legs up, the men spread them apart. "You worthless whore! No one is going to save you, so stop struggling!" Each man held onto the boy's arm and legs, licking them, sucking them and securing them down for the first intruder to thrust his evil lust into the unprepared entrance. _

_"Don't get too tight now." The first lowly man snickered as tongued the boy's inner thigh and probed the entrance with his fingers. "This will be fun. He's credibly tight! Oh yeah…" _

_"Stop playing around and fuck him already!" Another rogue impatiently said as he ached for his own release and couldn't wait for his turn while observing another man playfully having fun. _

_Immediately, the violation was made. "…!" The boy couldn't scream nor could he yell for help. Only soundless muffles were made from the unwanted movement. He could feel his own pain crying, his flesh burned from the intrusion and his stomach sick from the constant force against his prostate. The monsters continued to move in and out of his body. Unwanted touch continued to explore his body; hands of different men were rubbing his skin, twisting his nipples, squeezing his arms and legs and kissing him sloppily. Trails of saliva crawled on his skin. He felt dirty. He felt his life was less than a crawling insect. _

_As the men took turn invading him continuously; he stopped struggling completely. _

_"That's a good boy." _

_What was the use? He couldn't move, he couldn't fight back and he couldn't think anymore. All he wanted right now was for this nightmare to end and for death to find him. The only way for him to forget this sinful act of betrayal by his own blood and his own people was for him to die. Not even a single drop of tear was left in him to shed for the pain he endured at this moment. _

_"That's the whore of Hojo! Just lie still and enjoy the good time that we're giving you." _

_"You should be grateful that we didn't kill you right away." _

_"Yeah! Let's use him again… and again… Fuck him until he drops dead!" _

_Kagetora remained frozen, lying still as if he was a piece of stationery, a corpse with no feeling. His eyes had been shut closed for quite some times. He didn't want to see anymore of this nightmare. As the pain lessened, his mind drifted slowly from his reality. 'Death.' It was the last word that he thought of before he lost total conscious and fainted away completely. _

_"Damn it, he passed out!" _

_"There is no fun in torturing a dead man." _

_"Yeah, let's go ahead and get kill him." _

_"He's as good as dead. Just leave him. No one will come for him." _

_"Yeah you're right. Let's catch up to Lord Ujimasa." _

_The three cold-blooded monsters left the bloody field, leaving behind them a pasture of war and a subject of hurt waiting for death. _

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Bitterness and tears of sorrow found Naoe's eyes as they ran down his face. He held onto Takaya's unconscious body in the gruesome darkness as he swallowed those tears, "I'd always known from my gut feeling that you'd endured something like this that very day. You had told me once yourself, but seeing it happened… This is too much, too much to bear. Is this what you wanted me to see, Kagetora? To see and to feel your pain?"

The boy's eyes also lingered some tears as they soaked Naoe's shoulder where his head was supported in the crying man's hand.

"Kagetora…" Naoe cried and tears wouldn't stop leaking from his eyes.

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: That's it for now. I didn't want to be too explicit on the rape scene. I hope that's okay. Next chapter will focus on Kagetora's dilemma.

KaraQ – You're cute as always. I hope you like chapter 10. Sorry, I couldn't update faster. With the little time that I've got, I can only do so much.

vegetasprincess1 – It has always made me feel good to get a review from you. This helps me know that you're still interested in reading more of my story.

Kairiucci – I'm glad that you like the flashbacks. I enjoy writing them. The relationship of Naoe and Takaya is so complicated and the Anime didn't really portray anything about their 400 years past, so I thought since it's my story now, I could create one for them. I'm mostly focusing on their original life before they become possessors. Once they become possessors, I'll stick in some random scenes from here and there.

Radcat38 – I sympathy with you. Whenever I find a story which I enjoy, I would have to wait patiently and check my e-mail everyday after work to see if there is any update.

crimsonbloodvampire – Thanks Hon! And there you have it, more and more flashbacks to come.

The Invisible Fan – I'm glad that you think my fic is developing. I agree that Kagetora isn't as cruel and heartless as he is described, but there have to be a certain point in time, a shocking event or misunderstanding which turns him out to be that way. From the anime, when seeing him sitting on the tree with his brother, Ujiteru under the moon; he seemed to be a peaceful and loving boy. Something bad must have happened and I'm thinking that it have to do with Naoe. I'm trying to interpret that into my story.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 **

_Riding on his black stallion as fast as he could, Naoe found a field of horror. Puddles of dark blood accompanied with thousands of bodies on the ground. "KAGETORA!" It was the only word that he knew to shout at the ghastly sight. _

_Naoe immediately jumped off his stallion and stumbled over the dead bodies. Bodies after bodies, he swam through the bloody field and his eyes wandered from one dead soldier to the next. "NO! Kagetora! Speak to me! I know you're alive!" He called for his lord, but his voice echoed in return. No one was alive to answer him. Black crows were gathering and circling in the grayish sky as the wind hustled stronger. He continued his search, digging the field of bodies with his hands, painting them in the blood of his clansmen, his soldiers and maybe his lord. _

_After hours of digging, Naoe's arms felt as if they weighted a ton, as if he was swimming in the deepest part of the ocean and the pebble which he sought was further down, buried in the bottom of the sea. "Kagetora…" Feeling his strength weakening as the sun set beneath the horizon, Naoe felt dismayed. Why? For the first time in his life, he felt utterly hopeless as he dropped the weight of his entire body on his knees. _

_Just when Naoe thought that he couldn't find his lord, something caught his eyes as they followed the last glimpse of light descending into the western hemisphere. The sun cast its final ray over a particular tree before it disappeared and complete darkness found the plain of mortality. Focusing his eyes on the certain tree, he noticed something which definitely resemble a leg behind a large boulder nearby. Suddenly, his heart raced with anticipation; somehow he knew that he would find his lord behind that huge rock. Limping his exhausted body crossed the field, he found his lord. "Lord Kage… tora." Just when he thought his search was over, the sight of Kagetora's bruised body could have asphyxiated him at that moment. He felt sick to the stomach as if he needed to hurl out the horrendous sight. What could have happened to his lord? _

_Kagetora lay frozen in a pose that Naoe had never seen. Naked. His arms were hugging his chest; his long legs were slightly bent yet folded tightly together, lying on his hips and his body was cover in blood and marks of red and purple coated his fair skin. _

_As Naoe calmed his crying soul, he threw away his armor and took off his cape to cover his lord's cold body. "Lord Kagetora, please hang on. I'll get you… outta here." Gently he said and gently he carried his lord into his arms. _

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_Kagetora shivered; his entire body was trembling as he tried to open his eyes. Weakly and slowly blinking his eyes' lids, he opened them. The night had grown completely dark and the image of the person holding him was vague. _

_"Don't move. You'll hurt yourself." _

_That voice, Kagetora recognized it anywhere. It was Naoe's voice. He remained silent and said nothing. Naoe's arms felt warm and gentle. They felt like a big pair of wings securing him and nestling him in their warm feathers. It was exactly what he needed at this moment. He needed someone to hold him and make him felt safe. _

_Naoe pulled his lord closer and Kagetora rested his head on the man's warm chest. _

_"Naoe…?" _

_"We can talk later." Naoe ran his fingers into his lord's long hair, trying to smooth the boy to sleep. "You need to rest now. Tomorrow, I'll find us a safe place for you to recuperate." _

_"…" And, the boy quickly fell asleep in the comfort of his savior's arms. _

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_Naoe woke up the next morning and found his lord still sleeping restlessly in his arms. He gently laid the boy down and covered him with a blanket, which he found from the scattered supplies from their camp site last night. _

_Finding a stream nearby, Naoe gathered enough water to travel for a day or two. The abandoned camp was a safe place to stay to hide from the enemy. The enemy would not expect that they would be staying at a place like this, but Kagetora needed medical attention and Naoe was no doctor. He needed to get Kagetora into a town where he could get clean bandages and medication for the boy. _

_After Naoe washed off and cleaned all the blood stains from the previous night; he took a deep breath and thought of the sleeping boy in the tent. 'What happened to you?' He couldn't get the image of Kagetora lying helplessly out of his mind. Thinking of Kagetora, he had to clean the boy and find him some clean clothing before they leave for town. _

_He came back to the tent and found Kagetora still soundly asleep. Taking small and quiet steps, Naoe kneeled down beside his lord. He slowly removed the blanket and the cape from last night. It seemed that Kagetora was totally worn out from whatever happened that he didn't even noticed a thing that Naoe was doing. Naoe continued as he folded the dirty garment aside for later wash. His eyes couldn't resist but wince that the very sight of Kagetora's body. Arrowhead wounds were found on his shoulder, arm and thigh. His abdomen muscled looked as if it had been swollen with bruises. Fingernail marks were found on his wrists and legs. His entire body looked so fragile lying there so vulnerable and weak. _

_Naoe gently washed the boy's face as he patted the wet cloth over the boy's skin. Kagetora's had such a beautiful complexion; his long hair caressing his face and neck, his eyes resting so peacefully and the narrow bridge of his nose accompanied with his thin lips; they fitted together so perfectly with the oval shape of his face. Kagetora was beautiful. Naoe hadn't noticed it before, but Kagetora was very attractive when he slept. _

_The man continued to clean off the blood stains from the boy's body. First, he started with the shoulder blades, rubbing the wet cloth ever so gently to not hurt nor deepen the wound. Rinsing the cloth each time to clean a new area, he slid it down the boy's torso, then the arms and then the legs. Once the front was done, he slowly turned the boy over on his stomach and cleaned the back as well. _

_Naoe came back to the stream to clean the dirty garments. He hung them on tree branches to allow them to dry while he waited for his lord to regain some conscious. While waiting, he found some fruit trees nearby and grabbed a bit to eat. _

_Half a day gone by and Kagetora was still asleep. Something didn't feel right. Naoe tried to wake up his lord, but the boy wouldn't respond to his call. "No, he's coming down with a fever!" Naoe immediately released his hand from his lord's forehead and hauled the boy onto the back his stallion to find the nearest town. _

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_Kagetora felt as if he had been sleeping for days, his entire body felt numb as he pushed his weight up in bed. As he managed to pull himself up and swallowed for the first time, something tasted really bitter in the back of his throat. "Where am I?" He asked himself as he observed his surrounding. He didn't recognize it. As he tried to get off his bed, he soon realized what happened after his first stumble and his face met the ground. Flashback of the horrid scene came back to him. "No! No! NO!" _

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_It was getting dark outside and the weather was cold. The rain had also started to pour over the town, big and small houses, streets were flooded with water and everyone was scattering, running around to find a place to stay dry. _

_Oddly, there was a boy walking in his white yukata in the rain. Everyone's eyes were on this boy. He looked lost. He looked depressed. His long dark hair soaked in the rain as he continued to limp his way across town. _

_"LORD KAGETORA!" Naoe shouted out his lord's name as he sprung the door opened and slammed it hard against the wall. The boy had gone missing from his room. There were no sign of Kagetora in the inn where Naoe had left him resting. It was getting dark, where could his lord have gone to? Had the boy woke up and left by himself or had the enemy found him? Naoe had no time to think, but to run after his lord. _

_He left the inn and wondered into the town asking every passing person to see if anyone had seen his lord. _

_"Oh no! This rain is horrible! How can I make a living in this weather?" A young lady exclaimed her crisis as the rain continued to pour harder and harder, harassing her 'udon noodle' stand. _

_"Excuse me, Miss. Have you seen a young man in a white yukata wandering around this area?" Naoe stopped by to ask the young lady. _

_Hiding under the huge umbrella of her noodle stand on the side of the street; the young lady stared at Naoe. For an average ordinary girl, she had never seen such a handsome man. She stood frozen, mesmerized by his charm as she fantasized about her future groom. _

_"Can you please help me? He's in very bad health and I need to find him right away." _

_The young lady broke away from her little indulging moment and blinked at Naoe. "Oh… I'm sorry. Did you say a young man?" _

_He nodded. _

_"Ah… yes! I think I did. I saw someone walking by about an hour ago. He looked lost." _

_"Did you see where he went?" _

_"No, but he was heading in that direction out of town." The young lady pointed to the town's gate. _

_"Thank you very much." Naoe said and right away he set foot after his lord. _

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo _

_Kagetora found himself wandering into a cemetery not too far outside of town. Mile of tombstones lined up one after another. This was the place of the dead. This was the place where he should be; he should be dead. _

_Night fell and the sky was a shade of gray. Kagetora stood in the middle of the graveyard looking up into the sky while the rain showered him with tears. Even the weeping willow in the center of the cemetery was crying with him. The sky was also upset for him. Thunder started to roam the sky. 'Yes," he thought, 'strike me down. Help me end this pathetic life.' _

_Rain continued to drip and drop. Thunder continued roared its rage. The wind had also joined the choir and blew the chimes in the grave. _

_"Kagetora." Naoe found his lord. Quickly he approached his lord, but the boy didn't even notice that Naoe was there. _

_A lightning struck. It almost hit the willow tree right next to where Kagetora was standing, but he didn't budge an inch. _

_Naoe's heart skipped a beat when he saw the lightning missed his lord's body. Kagetora didn't seem to care. Naoe kept a distance to observe the boy. 'Why Kagetora? What's wrong?' _

_Kagetora stood like stone, his arms hanging down from both side with his long hair pulled down behind his wet yukata as he continued to soak his life away and his mind sank deeper into his thoughts. 'For the honor of my clan, I accepted my fate as a member of Hojo and carried out my duties to serve the Takeda clan. For two years, I served them, like a servant I obeyed every command, like a bitch I swallowed my pride as their soldiers shamed my body and took away my innocence. Why did I have to endure all that? Was everything that I'd done for nothing?' _

_'Kagetora…' The sight of his lord's lost soul was killing him. Naoe felt responsible for his lord's setback. If he had followed his hunch and taken Kagetora's place to penetrate the enemy's force, then the boy wouldn't have to suffer so much. He lost a battle and he lost his soldiers, but that couldn't be what that was dwelling his soul. Looking at his lord, it must have been something else. Kagetora had seen enough war and blood shed, therefore that couldn't be the reason why he was soaking under the rain as if he was a frozen status that couldn't feel pain. _

_'Why father? Didn't you say that you love everyone? That you love me and all my brothers? No, you do love us. It was Ujimasa. What have I ever done to deserve this? Haven't I done enough for Hojo? By sending me away, you'd given up on me, not once, but twice and I obeyed each time. Why must you do this to me? Am I such a worthless human? Don't I get any pride in serving my clan?' Kagetora continued to drown in his misery. _

_"Lord Kagetora!" Naoe couldn't stand witnessing his lord harassing his own fragile body in the rain anymore. He walked up to his lord and immediately wrapped his arms around the slender body. It was cold, icy cold; Kagetora's body felt stiff as it was a frozen icicle. "My god, Kagetora!" Naoe cried. "Let's go back. You're going to freeze yourself to death." _

_Kagetora slowly awakened from his trance as he looked up and saw Naoe's narrowed eyes staring at him. 'It's him.' He thought. 'Yes, it's him. It's all because of him. I didn't do what I was supposed to. If I had killed him, then everything would be fine.' **Just follow your heart and you'll be fine.** Naoe's words repeated themselves as Kagetora looked at the man holding onto his body. 'He's crying. Why is he crying? No… he's not crying; it's the rain.' _

_"Kagetora! Wake up! Please don't do this to yourself!" Naoe held the boy tighter as he breathed hastily. His heart was aching, pounding against his chest as he looked at the deluded boy. _

_Seeing the man's desperate eyes, Kagetora realized that he was not alone. "Naoe…?" _

_"My Lord…" Naoe's trembling fingers released their grip in shock, yet he was relieved that the boy responded. _

_"I… followed my heart. I did…, but why does it feel so… so painful?" Kagetora stuttered each word as he questioned the man. _

_"…" Not knowing what to say, Naoe quickly hugged the boy tighter in his grip. _

_Kagetora buried his head in, shaking it against the older man's chest. "Why? Why Naoe? Why?" He cried. _

_"My Lord, please don't torture yourself. Let's go back. You need to recover from your wounds." _

_"I'm worthless." Kagetora continued. "I can't do anything right. I'm the black sleep of the family. I have no use to anyone. I betrayed my clan. I sent my soldiers to death. All because I… I… I couldn't…" He stopped. 'I couldn't kill you.' _

_"Stop this nonsense!" Naoe shook the boy while staring into his eyes. "You're Kagetora Uesugi! You have a whole life ahead of you. Everyone is waiting for you to come back. Lord Kenshin needs you! I need you!" _

_Licking his wet lips, Kagetora swallowed the rain; his soared throat needed a quick relief before he was able to speak again. "I want to die." _

_Naoe slapped him. "You can't! I won't let you!" _

_Kagetora fell down onto his buttock while sad eyes stared at Naoe's furious one. Kagetora's breathing had grown heavily as he continued to exchange glare with the man standing above him. 'Why Naoe?' He couldn't believe it. Naoe had always been so kind and gentle to him. _

_Biting his lips, Naoe's breathing was heavier as well. He didn't know what had gone over him, but he couldn't stand the sight of his young lord being so meager. The Kagetora he knew was strong and righteous. What could have happened to him to make him feel this way? Kneeling down, his hand trembled as he reached out for his lord. _

_"No! Don't touch me! Get away!" Kagetora fell back and crawled backward on his hands and feet while Naoe crawled forward on his hands and knees. "Please stay away from me!" _

_"Why?" Naoe breathed his question. _

_"I'm… I'm not worth it." Kagetora could feel his heart raced as Naoe approached him, but he was afraid to be touch. "I'm dirty… spoiled… not worthy…" _

_Naoe didn't understand what Kagetora meant by that, but he was definitely making it difficult for Naoe to understand. Yet, the more the boy resisted the more he wanted to come closer. He wanted to come closer. He wanted to come closer. Feeling his heart bursting against his chest, he pushed forward and caught the boy, "Kagetora!" _

_"Let me go! Let me…" Before Kagetora was able to struggle any further, Naoe had shut him up. His eyes were wide opened as he looked at the man on top of him. 'Naoe… Naoe…' Melting in the man's cold lips, Kagetora felt something very warm transferred from Naoe to him, heating up his body as his arms found themselves wrapping around the other man's neck. _

_Naoe pulled away from the kiss as he looked at Kagetora's flushed expression lying against the muddy ground. Panting heavily, he looked at the boy; his hair was still wet from the rain as more glitter painted his pale complexion and rolled down to the root of his hair. Naoe's fingers automatically traced the boy's face and lips. Looking at those lips, his heart felt as if it was running a marathon. If he thought that his heart was going to burst earlier, it was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. He couldn't stop his heart from racing. He wanted to taste those lips again. _

_Kagetora said nothing as he stared at the man whom he admired for so long. He had admired Naoe since the first day they met. There was something charming about the man that he didn't understand. It was an unexplainable feeling and feeling grew stronger when he met Naoe again five years later. _

_"I'm sorry, but I couldn't hold myself." Naoe shamefully looked away for a quick second. "I'm going to take you back to the inn right now." He immediately cradled his lord and took him away. _

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: I've always had an impression that Kagetora is tortured boy and Naoe has always been his protector. The next chapter will be less depressing. It should light up the mood between Kagetora and Naoe, but it will also leave you wanting for more.

Thank you everyone for sticking with me so far! And kisses to KaraQ, elwenrhiannon, Aacire, crimsonbloodvampire, Kairiucci, hangoverhobbykit and all the anonymous readers.

KaraQ - I understand completely where your confusion lies. Before writing this story, since I never read the manga, I have to watch the anime and OVA faithfully and take notes. Pausing through the anime, I jot down names of people and clan, location, types of spiritual powers, the color of each possessor's aura and so on. Below are the clans' names and people that I've mentioned in my story so far. I hope this help you map where everyone is supposed to be.

**Clans Name **

**Uesugi Clan **(from Echigo)

Leader – Lord Kenshin Uesugi

1st adopted son – Kagetora Uesugi (Saburo/Ujihide Hojo and now as Takaya Ougi)

2nd adopted son – Kagekatsu Uesugi (Kiheiji Nagao)

Follower/General: Nobutsuna Naoe, Nagahide Yasuda (Chiaki Shuhei), Haruie Kakizaki and Irobe Katsunaga (One of the five Bishamonten possessors, which will be mentioned later in the story.)

**Hojo Clan **(from Odawara)

Leader – Lord Ujiyasu Hojo

Sons: Ujimasa Hojo, Ujiteru Hojo, Ujihide Hojo (Saburo/Kagetora) and the other 4 sons' names unknown.

Follower/General: none mentioned so far

**Takeda Clan **(from Kai)

Leader – Lord Shingen Takeda

Follower/General: Kousaka Danjou Nosuke Masanobu

**Date Clan **(from Sendai)

Leader – Lord Masamune Date

Brother – Lord Kojiro Date

Follower/General: Kagetsuna Kojuro Katakura

**Oda Clan **(from Owari)

Leader – Nobunaga Oda

Follower/General: Ranmaru Mori

**Other Characters/OC: **

Yuzuru Narita

Sugiro (the attendant of Naoe's Kougenji temple in Utsunomiya – no last name)


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 **

_Back at the inn, Kagetora asked himself silently as he sat in bed waiting for Naoe to return to him. 'Why did he kiss me?' _

_"Here is your medication." Naoe walked in with a bowl of mixed herb in water and handed it to the boy. "Take it. It should help you get better." _

_Kagetora blushed as he took the bowl into his hands. It was warm. Naoe sat down at the end of his bed, looking at him warmly with a gentle smile. The simple smile made his heart raced just by looking at it. He quickly hid his blemishing cheeks by casting his sight on the bowl of medicine. 'He made this for me. In the middle of the night, he took time to make this medicine for me.' Kagetora thought. "Naoe, I…" _

_"What is it?" _

_"About earlier…" _

_"Don't worry about it. You weren't feeling well." _

_Still looking at the bowl of medicine, Kagetora didn't know what to say. True he wasn't feeling well, but it wasn't what he wanted to say. At this moment, he was too emotional to know what he wanted. He felt miserable, but at the same time he felt wanted. Though, it was a brief moment, but Naoe had given him something special; the kiss. It was a simple kiss. Simple enough to fog his mind and file away the agony which tortured his soul and focus his thoughts at the man in front of him. He wanted to know why Naoe kissed him. Did Naoe somehow have feelings for him? He fidgeted over the idea of asking the man. It would be too awkward, but his heart was pounding for an answer. He wanted to know why. He wanted to know how Naoe felt about him. "I… I'm cold." He stuttered instead of asking the question. _

_"Drink it." Naoe insisted. "It should warm you up and I'll go get you some more blankets." _

_"No, I don't want…" Kagetora paused abruptly as he rolled his eyes up to steal a glance at the man sitting in front of him. _

_The broken response startled Naoe a bit, yet he stayed calm as he observed the boy's hesitation and lack of words. After a few minutes of silence, Naoe got onto his feet. Slowly, he placed his hands on top of Kagetora's slender ones. "I'll help you." He said and lifted the bowl up to the lips where it should be. Kagetora drank the warm medicine as Naoe stood by and watched him finished every drop. "Now that wasn't so bad, was it?" He asked almost teasingly. _

_"It's bitter." The boy frowned. _

_"I know." Naoe said pleasingly as he took the empty bowl and set it aside on the table next by the window in the room. Turning around, he walked back to his lord and looked at the boy silently as he returned. Both men stared at each other and remained in total silent that distinctive moment. Naoe felt his lungs squeezed inside his chest as his breathing grew faster and heavier, 'I shouldn't be thinking about him like that. He's My Lord, my superior.' He tried to calm himself, but the lips on that gorgeous face reminded him of the kiss from earlier. It triggered something inside of him. For some unexplainable reason, he couldn't keep his eyes off the boy in bed. He wanted to be closer to him. He wanted to touch him. He wanted to stay by his lord's side and embrace him. Taking a deep breath, Naoe tried to hide away his desire and walked up to the boy. "It's very late. Let me help you lie down. You need to rest for another day or two." _

_As Naoe lowered his body and stretched his arm out for Kagetora's upper form, the boy caught him by surprise. _

_"Naoe?" _

_The man froze instantly as Kagetora's head shifted up and their noses almost braced each other. _

_Kagetora quickly looked away to the side; his heart was pounding rapidly as he tried to speak, "Can you…?" Building up the little courage that he had left, he sputtered out his request. "Can you stay here with me tonight?" _

_Naoe was once again shocked by the sudden assertiveness. _

_Looking back into Naoe's eyes, Kagetora could feel himself pleading for the man's comfort. He had never acted this way before, but he couldn't let go the opportunity. He wanted the comfort. He liked it when Naoe touched him, held him and even kissed him. It took him a few heartbeats to continue his plea, "It's cold tonight. Would you… stay?" _

_Naoe laid the boy down; keen eyes were looking at his lord the entire time. "I'll do anything for you, all you need is asked." _

_Locking his eyes on the man above him, Kagetora timidly asked again, "Then would you keep me warm tonight?" _

_An irresistible mark of happiness found Naoe's face as he whispered his answer and combed his lord's hair. "I would love to." _

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_Feeling his breath vibrating against the older man's chest; Kagetora felt warm and safe. Under the same cover, both men lay on their side, arms around each other's bodies while each heart felt affectionately contented. _

_Kagetora couldn't sleep; he wanted this moment of comfort to last forever. He felt special in Naoe's arms, but being like this made him fluttered even more. He wanted so much to be with Naoe, but at the same time he was scared. He bickered at the thought of what happened to him and pondered what Naoe would think of him if he knew. Feeling depressed, he considered himself unworthy; he had no position to want anything or anyone for that matter, plus Naoe belonged to someone else. _

_The harsh rain continued to pour as the wind hustled and cold breeze slipped in through the windowsill. Clinging closer to Naoe's warmth, Kagetora could hear the man's soothing rhythm pounding against his ear. "Naoe, are you asleep?" He whispered. _

_"No, not yet. Why aren't you sleeping? Are you still cold?" Naoe replied with the same manner. _

_"A little." _

_"Should I go and get some more blankets then?" _

_"No, don't leave me. Just stay here like this and hold me. I'll be able to sleep soon." _

_Naoe smiled to himself; he was relief to hear that. He too didn't want to leave Kagetora at this moment. "You know what?" He asked gently again, speaking the lock of black hair beneath his chin. "This is the second time I hold you like this. I mean hold you to sleep." _

_"Really? When was the first?" Kagetora asked too quickly as he remembered it. It was right after the vile incident. He remembered it now; Naoe saved him and cradled him to safety. The pair of wings, which cradled him so gently that night, it was no more than a pair of arms of Nobutsuna Naoe. _

_"It was…" _

_"Don't say it!" Kagetora snapped, preventing the response from coming; he couldn't bear the thought that Naoe could have seen what happened. Feeling upset about the whole situation, he shifted his head away and adjusted his sight to see Naoe in the dark. Naoe was holding him so gently as if he was holding something so fragile that he was afraid to break it. Kagetora couldn't imagine how the man would react if he knew what happened to him that day. Feeling a strong pain in his chest, all he wanted to do was to bury his face away. _

_Naoe was a bit surprised by the boy's frantic command, but he remained calm the entire time. He knew that something horrible happened that day. Founding his lord lying bared skin on a battlefield said a lot about what might have happened. He had thought about it and had assumed what had taken place. Kagetora's body was brutally harassed both inside and out, both soul and body. Though, he noticed it; he still didn't know the full extent of what happened that day. _

_After a long pregnant pause, Kagetora retreated back to the man's chest, resting his heavy head there. "How long have I'd been unconscious?" He spoke to the fabric between his face and Naoe's chest. _

_"Five days." Naoe replied. _

_"Has it been that long already?" _

_"Yes, it has. You developed a high fever and I was so worried. I sold my horse the first thing when we came into this town. I got some money for the stallion and found this inn. The inn keeper provided us some clean clothing and got us a doctor. The doctor prescribed you these herbal medications and I'd been giving them to you for consecutively five days now. I was beginning to think that they didn't work. I'm glad that you've gained conscious." _

_"I see, so you've been by my side all these time?" _

_"Yes." _

_"But…, the medicine? How could I've taken them while I was still unconscious?" _

_"Well, I had to… um…" For the first time that night, Naoe found himself blushing as he remembered how soft it was pressing against Kagetora's pulp day after day. The medication was bitter to swallow, but the act of transferring it into Kagetora's mouth was not bitter at all. Somehow, he had grown fond to those lips. _

_"You had to… what?" Seeing how Naoe's cheeks blushed, Kagetora could almost imagine how he had feed him the medicine. _

_"Since you couldn't take it by yourself, I had to give it to you with the only method that I know of." _

_"You mean…?" Kagetora had suspected it, but still he was surprisingly shocked when Naoe returned a nod to his incomplete question. He immediately gasped a full mouth of air as he turned his body around and let his back faced Naoe's bigger form, 'So, that's why my mouth and throat were so bitter when I woke up.' _

_"You're not fully recovered yet, so we'll need to stay here for another couple of days. Once you're all better, we should head back east to Echigo." _

_"Echigo?" _

_"Yes, from the information that I was able to gather, Lord Kenshin had retreated back home. I'll update you with the details tomorrow." Naoe tightened the circle around his lord's waist as he pulled the boy closer to his chest. "Right now, you need to rest." _

_"Um…" Kagetora hummed his sound of agreement. 'Just continue to hold me like this and I'll sleep in your arms.' He thought silently as he cupped Naoe's arms into his slender ones. _

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_"I couldn't do it." Kagetora moaned in his sleep. "I can't kill him." He continued to say out loud. "Ujimasa! Why? Why do you treat me like this? Is that what I am? Am I just a whore? A tool, a meaningless piece of bargain, which you use to achieve your goal and then toss away when it has no more value to you?" He cried. "No! Please stop them!" He shivered. "No! Don't you dare touch me! Get off me!" He wept; tears were coming down from each angle of his eyes. _

_Naoe tried to wipe off those tears, but they kept coming down. _

_"Monsters! How could you? How could you…?" His voice descended and soon it was silent. _

_"Kagetora…" Bitterly, Naoe spoke his lord's name and held tighter to the trembling body. Though he couldn't see the boy's dream; he could feel it through his words. _

_After a brief silence, it seemed that Kagetora had spun away from his calamity and found peace. Naoe continued to hold the sleeping boy; facing his lord, he cleaned those wet eyes and face. Just when he was wiping the tears from the Kagetora's cheeks, his fingers found the soft lips beneath them. 'Why did I kiss him?' He asked himself. Moving in closer, he wanted to learn the reason behind that kiss. He had never had so much desire for any particular person, not even his wife. 'Could I have fallen for him? This boy… He's my master, My Lord and the very temptation of my yearning at this moment. I want him.' He kissed Kagetora's soft lips and slowly pulled away. _

_Instantly after the soft kiss, Kagetora whispered in his slumber, "I love you." _

_Naoe's heart was about to jump out of his skin. 'Did I hear him right?' He didn't expect it, but that was the answer which he was looking for. _

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_"Good Morning." Naoe greeted his lord as he brought a bowl of water for his lord's morning wash. Two more days flew by and Naoe hadn't heard a single word from Kagetora about what happened nor did he repeat the shocking phrase from the other night. "How are you this morning?" _

_"Better." _

_"Is that all you have to say?" _

_Kagetora looked away. What did Naoe meant by that? What more was there to say? Did Naoe know something that he didn't? _

_"I could see that you've regained most of your strength. We should pack and get ready to leave for Echigo soon." _

_'Echigo.' Kagetora continued in this train of thoughts. He had only been there for a short period of time when he arrived as an exchanged hostage from Hojo. It had been two years since then. He had been traveling with his adopted father, Naoe and the other Generals from one domain to another; training, battling and fighting against enemies, battle after battle. 'Echigo.' The word still sounded foreign to him, yet this time he felt as if something terrible was waiting for him there. For some reasons, he didn't want to go back there. As he sneaked a glance at Naoe, he began to realize the reason why he didn't want to go back. 'Should I tell Naoe that I have feelings for him, that I don't want to go back to Echigo just yet and that I want him to stay by my side just like this?' Kagetora couldn't help, but felt vulnerable to the man that he admired and cared for so much. _

_Naoe cleared his throat as he handed Kagetora a clean towel. Kagetora took the wet towel and wiped off his sleepy face. _

_"When are we leaving?" He questioned as he handed back the towel to Naoe. _

_"As soon as possible. I've heard rumors that the Hojo clan has taken over Odawara Castle under the direction of Shingen and both clans are planning an attack on Echigo. They may be heading this way very soon, so we should leave now." _

_"…" Kagetora stared at the man standing without blinking an eye. _

_"Did you know that Hojo was involved in this?" _

_"…" Kagetora didn't answer. He knew that Ujimasa wanted to take back Odawara Castle, but he didn't know that the Hojo was working with the Takeda clan until that tragic day. _

_Naoe took his lord's silence as a yes, but kept his composure. Kagetora might had known something, but he couldn't be involved in it because if he did, then he would never been played foul so badly. "Echigo is about a three days ride from here if we have some horses. I've sent Lord Kenshin a letter a couple days ago and told him where we are and the direction that we would be heading to. I know that he'll send someone to get us, but we should be on our feet, so that we could meet up with them sooner." _

_Kagetora couldn't disagree; it was a wise decision for both of them to leave immediately. Quietly, he sighed knowing that his time with Naoe would have to end here. As a member of the Uesugi army he knew what he should and shouldn't do. And right now, he shouldn't burden Naoe any longer. If he had survived this long, then there must be a reason for him to live on. Despise of what happened; he had to be strong for himself and for everything that Naoe had done for him to save his life, "Yes, we should leave now. Let's head back to Echigo." _

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_"Father." Kagetora kneeled down on his knees in front of Kenshin and all the Generals in the court. "I take full responsibility of my failure. You can punish me however you please." _

_"There is no one to be blamed for this mishap. The spy whom we'd trusted had apparently switched side and was working for the Takeda. It's no one's fault that he betrayed us." _

_Kagetora couldn't believe it. How could his father be so lenient? _

_"Come, stand up my son. And you too, Naoe, take your stand." _

_Kagetora stood up, but Naoe remained kneeling down. _

_"What's wrong Naoe? Why aren't you standing up?" _

_"Lord Kenshin, I failed to protect Lord Kagetora. I shall be punished for my incompetence."_

_"You brought him back didn't you?" _

_"Yes." _

_"Then there is nothing else for us to talk about." _

_"But, My Lord?" _

_"Your survivals are more important to me. I'm glad to see the two of you've made it back here in one peace. We shall celebrate your return and have a feast tonight." _

_"Thank you, My Lord." _

_"And before I forget, Naoe there is someone here to see you." _

_"May I ask who it is?" _

_"Lady Ai, she's been waiting desperately for your return." _

_Kagetora's complexion had slightly discolored as he heard someone was waiting for Naoe and that someone had to be a lady. Was this the terrible omen that he felt before regarding his return to Echigo? Who was this Lady Ai? _

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_Once Kagetora and Naoe settled back in the castle; they got ready and dressed into formal kimonos for the welcome home banquet. During the feast, Kagetora couldn't help but noticed how beautiful Lady Ai was. Ai; it was pretty name for a pretty lady. The definition of the name was lovely itself meaning 'love'. Lady Ai equaled Lady Love, who could ever deny her charm and beauty. _

_He continued to sneak a few glances now and then and noticed how beautiful the couple looked together. 'She must be his wife; the wife that he has never mentioned to me. Why? She is so beautiful.' Feeling depressed, Kagetora couldn't eat anymore; it was too much for him to swallow. The food itself wasn't the problem; it was the picture of Naoe and his wife that Kagetora couldn't handle anymore. Everyone was enjoying themselves, drinking and eating. If he were to sneak out, no one would even notice it. _

_Kagetora made his move and left the banquet. Quietly he walked the castle's halls. 'He's happily married and he's my subordinate. I don't have any right to think about him that way. I don't deserve him.' _

_"Lord Kagetora!" Someone was calling him from behind, but he was still lost in his thoughts to notice who it was. "Kagetora, stop!" The person had reached up to him and grabbed his shoulder. _

_He turned his head around and there Naoe stood casting a concern look at him. He quickly avoided Naoe's glare and stepped forward as he shook off the hand on his shoulder. "Why aren't you enjoying the feast? You should stay there to enjoy the company." _

_"Are you upset with me?" Naoe asked staring at the ponytail, which lined up so straightly behind Kagetora's back. _

_"About what?" The boy asked coldly. _

_"About Lady Ai." _

_"What about her? I have no ill feeling about her. She's a beautiful lady." _

_"Nobutsuna!" The sweet voice of Lady Ai called to her husband and both men turned around to meet her. There she was in her pink kimono with a pattern of cherry blossoms running down from each of her shoulder to its hem. Her long hair was a color of hazelnut; it caressed her heart shape face and highlighted the attractive pair emerald green jewels above her rosy cheeks. "Good Evening, Lord Kagetora." She greeted him while he was still observing her beauty. "I don't think that we were probably introduced yet." _

_"Please pardon my manner. Ai-chan this is Lord Kagetora Uesugi; he's the first son of Lord Kenshin. And, Lord Kagetora, this is my…" he suddenly paused as he noticed Kagetora's plain and unmoved expression staring at him, "…my wife, Lady Ai Sanetsuna Naoe." _

_"It's my pleasure to finally meet you in person My Lord. I've been hearing many good things about you and how you and Nobutsuna fight along side in battles." _

_Kagetora forced a smile, "Yes, Naoe is a great General. We've been through a lot. With his constant support, my father and I are very grateful to have him. Now, if you would excuse me, I have other matters to attend." _

_"I'm sorry for interfering with your work. Nobutsuna and I shall go back to our chamber now." She bowed. _

_Kagetora slightly jerked back as he gave Naoe a sharp look before he turned away. "I… I have to go." He paced forward a few steps and suddenly came to a halt, "Naoe…, you should take care of Lady Ai. She needs your attention." Before Naoe had anytime to respond, Kagetora decided to face the man one last time to say his farewell and to bury his unrequited feelings. He turned around and looked straight into Naoe's purple eyes, "Goodbye." He said quickly, flat and cold. _

_"Kagetora…" Naoe tried to call to the person disappearing quickly in front of him, but his attempt was too weak to reach his lord. He was stuck in middle between his wife and the one he yearned for. What should he do? He didn't know what to do, but stood there inertly as he watched Kagetora vanished completely. _

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: I don't think the anime ever said that Naoe is married, but from what I've researched he is. His real name is either Kagekou Nagao or Fujikurou Nagao. I'm not really sure which is which, but he adopted the name Nobutsuna Naoe after he married Sanetsuna Naoe's daughter. I don't know what her name is either, so 'Ai Sanetsuna Naoe' is a name that I've made up for her using her father's name.

I'll start working on chapter 13 as soon as I can. I think it will be more fluffs in a way that Naoe and Kagetora will confess their feelings for each other. Hint: Intimacy. How far do you want them to go? All the way? I think I'll do something like that.

Thanks again to my reviewers:

KaraQ – Thanks for your compliment. I regret to say that I'm a C average student when it comes to English and History. I'd used to hate them. It's been a while since I've been in school. I think that I'm at least 10 years older than most of my readers out there, but age makes no differences as long as we have the same interest.

RoRo237 – I'm very happy that you like my story. It makes me feel good writing it.

vegetasprincess1 – Thanks for your review, sweetie.

Diana – Welcome to my fic and thanks for your encouraging review.

crimsonbloodvampire – Yes, I'd spent quite some time preparing for this fic. I have two pages of typed notes from the Anime and OVA and another two pages long outline for this fic. I use them to keep my focus when I write. I'd also done some research on the people from the anime. Not everything from the anime fit into the real history of Japan or the actual events which happened. Since the anime didn't hold much truth, I decided to interpret the story as much as I could using the data which I've gathered and outline my story in a way that it would make fit into the anime and align with the history as well. Sometimes, I think that I try too hard and it gets to be a bit boring with too many details.

Kairiucci – Thanks again for your kind review and regarding the notes, you're very welcomed.


	13. Chapter 13

Warning: This chapter contains lemon. It may be too explicit for some readers. I do not accept any flame, so if you don't like msex, then don't read it. It starts right after Kagetora confesses his love for Naoe.

**Chapter 13 **

The flashes of Kagetora's memories had taken away Naoe's attention as he held his lord and watched faithfully. "Back then, I was more than just a subordinate to you. I had your love and I had your trust. I may not always show it, but back then, I was deeply in love with you."

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_Naoe stood silently, staring out from the window of his bedroom. Lady Ai stood by his side and didn't know what was bothering her husband. "Nobutsuna-san, is something wrong? You'd been very quiet since you got home." _

_"…" He stayed quiet. _

_Resting her head against Naoe's back, she wrapped her arms around his chest. "Please tell me what's bothering you. I'm your wife, aren't I?" _

_"…" Still no answer, but he had realized his reality and where he was. _

_"It's been over two years since you came home the last time. I'd missed you so much." _

_Naoe moved his hand up and placed it directly on Lady Ai's small ones. "I'm sorry for neglecting you all these times, but it's a man honor to keep his words. I'd promise your father to serve Lord Kenshin in his place and I will keep my promise." _

_"Yes, I understand and I haven't given you any grief about it. Once this is all over, can you promise me that you'll come back to me?" She gripped her little fingers tighter to his chest. _

_"I don't know if I can make that promise." he said bluntly and it was the truth. He didn't want to make any promises what he couldn't keep. _

_"Why?" She instantly faced him, staring into his unmoving eyes. He had changed, something was different about him. She had always known that he only married her to pay the debt of saving his life to her father, but she was really in love with him. Standing only to Naoe's shoulder she tipped-toes and embraced him with a kiss. "I want to be your wife tonight." She said; her cheeks blushed and her emerald eyes pleaded for his attention, "I love you." _

_The phrase echoed in his head as he looked at his wife and indulged her in that moment. _

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_Waking up in the middle of the night, Lady Ai was happy that Naoe was sleeping with her. He had been home for a week, but had been making excuses to avoid her. He spent most of his time in his study doing research or at least that was what he claimed he was doing. She could only wish that she had more time with him for tomorrow he was to return to duty. It would be a very long time until she would see him again. _

_"Naoe…" Lifting her head up, she admired her husband's handsome face. "I'm going to miss you. It would be more bearable if we have a son, for me to care for and to love in your absence." Moving in closer, she placed a soft kiss on her husband's lips. He moaned in return, "Kagetora…," and she pulled away in total shock. _

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_"Do you know where I could find Lord Kagetora this morning?" Naoe asked the guard who was escorting him to see Lord Kenshin for a brief morning greeting. _

_"I'm not sure. He could either be studying with General Irobe Katsunaga or sparing with General Nagahide Yasuda." _

_"Very well, thank you. That's all I needed to know." _

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_Naoe peeked into the study. _

_"Is there something that I can help you with?" _

_"Irobe, have you seen Lord Kagetora?" _

_"I think he's sparing with Nagahide and Lord Kagekatsu." _

_"Thanks, I'll look for him in the dojo then." _

_"Naoe!" Irobe called to his friend before he disappeared. _

_Looking back at his friend's short blue black hair and dark brown eyes, Naoe quickly asked, "What is it?" _

_"I need to speak to you about our new tactics and strategy. When you have some time, please come back here and I'll discuss the detail with you." _

_"Alright, I'll see you later for that." _

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_Walking to the dojo, Naoe heard the sound of wooden swords exchanging blows. 'Kagetora must be training inside', he thought. He slid the door opened quietly with anticipation. There he found a fearsome sparing match, but the two in action were Nagahide and Lord Kagekatsu. Kagetora was no where in sight. _

_Nagahide noticed the intruder and greeted him. "Naoe! You've returned." _

_"Yes." _

_"You wanna help me train this kid? He's improved a lot lately and you should hear how Irobe praises him. He's a genius when it comes to study." _

_Naoe stood there for a moment as he observed the training. Lord Kagekatsu was about four years younger than Lord Kagetora. Kagetora was 19, so that made Kagekatsu about 15 years of age. Looking at the way Kagekatsu wielded his sword, he still had a long way to catch up to his older brother. "I'm sorry, but I have an errand that I need to run. Maybe next time." He said and left the dojo. _

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_It was a clear night. Kagetora once again found Mature Nature under the full moon. The fishes were swimming less and less these cold and dreadful days, but the sound of their tails splashing and fins swimming in the water had always created a pleasant melody at night. _

_Sitting there admiring the moon and peaceful sound of the stream, he could let himself drift away to a pleasant dream, but something was missing and didn't allow him to rest that easily. He had learned that Naoe had returned to the castle and had purposely avoided the returned General. It was a stupid thing to do, but he didn't know how to approach the man otherwise. He had come to understand how deeply he felt for Naoe, how he wanted the man to be around him at all time, to hear his deep yet gentle voice, to see his concerns seeping through his gray eyes, to feel his touch and warmth wrapping around his skin and to welcome his warm smile with his own lips. He had fallen in love. _

_"Naoe…" He spoke the name of the one he loved as he hugged the cold skin of his shivering body. In a week worth of time, he had realized his true feelings, but he had also realized that his feelings could not be mutual. _

_It was getting very late. Everyone including Naoe should be resting in their quarters. He should head back and rest as well. There was no point in avoiding the situation any longer; he should rest the night and face whatever lay ahead of him tomorrow. As Kagetora closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, a warm pair of arms wrapped around his body from behind. He jerked back immediately and gasped another breath of cold air. As he turned around, he knew exactly who it was, "Naoe!" _

_"It's cold out here." He said bluntly, stating the obvious. _

_"What do you think you're doing?" _

_"I didn't have anything else to offer you and you looked as if you needed some warmth, so I thought…" _

_"Don't you treat me like that!" Kagetora snapped. "I'm fine now; I don't need you to warm me anymore." _

_Hurt seeped through Naoe's eyes. He wanted so much to hold his lord and to feel the warmth generated from their bodies. Feeling bitter from Kagetora's rejection, he felt ashamed yet he managed to apologize, "I'm sorry. You looked like you were freezing and I just couldn't bear to see you like that." _

_"The condition of my body is none of your business." _

_"…" Sinking deeper in his bitterness, Naoe stood solid as he watched Kagetora stumped away and vanished into a distance. "Why?" He didn't understand. "I thought you care for me." _

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_Kagetora got home safely and found his chamber. Settled in his bed, his eyes were closed, but his mind didn't rest. He could still feel the heat of those arms wrapping around his skin. Why did he have to shove them away so quickly? Didn't he long for them to return and to hold him? Still troubled with his own feelings, Kagetora tried to sleep just when his chamber's door opened by itself. _

_Kagetora reached for his sword, "Who's there?" _

_The shadow didn't answer, it stepped forward and the door shut behind it. _

_Kagetora immediately unsheathed his sword and aimed it at the intruder. Wielding his sword in the air, he swung it high and came down quickly to split the intruder into halves. _

_"Kagetora." The intruder spoke right at the crucial moment as Kagetora's attack was about to make contact. The boy quickly swung the sword away and missed the intruder's head by two inches, yet the sharpness of his blade took the sleeve of the intruder's right arm and slightly scratched the flesh at the shoulder's joint. _

_"Naoe?" Kagetora choked out the intruder's name. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" _

_"Kagetora." He repeated the boy's name as the blood from his right shoulder ran down his arm and painted the floor where he stood. _

_"What's wrong with you? I could have killed you for entering my chamber without permission." _

_"I can't stand it anymore. Why are you avoiding me?" He finally made some speech. _

_"I don't know what you're talking about. Just leave now and I'll overlook this intrusion." _

_"No!" Naoe stepped forward and grabbed his lord's arms. _

_"Let me go! What are you doing?" _

_"I can't let you go. I can't hide my feelings any longer." _

_"You're not making any sense." _

_"I love you." _

_"What?" _

_"I love you, Kagetora." _

_"No, this can't be true. What about Lady Ai?" _

_"It's different with her." _

_"But I… I can't…" _

_Kagetora's sword quickly resigned to the floor as Naoe kissed him; it was a bittersweet kiss. Both men melted into this moment and gave in hungrily as they closed the gap between their lips with each suctions, licking and eating each other's soft pulp against their own mouth. Tears found Kagetora's hazel eyes as he continued to indulge himself in this moment. It was real. Naoe was kissing him passionately. _

_Naoe pulled away as he felt the tears from his lord's eyes. "What's wrong? Why are you crying?" He asked while filling his empty lungs with air. _

_"Naoe, I…" Kagetora's voice trembled from anxiety. He knew that he loved this man, but could Naoe accept a broken person like him. "I don't deserve you. I'm not worthy. I've been spoiled, tarnished and stepped on." More tears filmed his dark eyes as he looked straight into Naoe's observing ones. Pain and hurt seeped through his voice as he continued his reason, "I was raped and defiled by my people, by my own flesh and blood, by Hojo." _

_Naoe's heart felt as if it had scattered into a thousands pieces; he knew that something like this had taken place, but he never would think that Kagetora was raped by his own clan. "You've done nothing wrong." He said as he wiped the tears off Kagetora's face, one eye after another before squeezing the boy into his arms. "Don't deny yourself of my affection. I love you and nothing is going to change that. I know that you're still hurt, but try to forget it. Let me help you heal that wound and love you with everything I got. Kagetora, **you're beautiful**. Nothing could spoil you. Let me show you how beautiful you are." He placed a gentle kiss on Kagetora's black hair. "Being away from you, I felt empty. I wanted so much to see you again and to hold like this. You've been the only person in my mind lately." _

_"What about Lady Ai?" Kagetora asked bitterly. _

_"No one could take your place, not even her." _

_Though Kagetora felt that it would be wrong for him to accept Naoe, but at the same time it felt right; it was what he needed. He could feel his own heart thriving against his chest. "Naoe." He purred the name of the one he loved as he held tightly to the broad body and dug his fingers into the dried blood from the wound earlier. "Take me," he whispered "and protect me in your arms." Locking his eyes on Naoe's irresistible charm; he blushed as he continued, "I have fallen in love with you, Nobutsuna Naoe." _

_This moment felt like a world of paradise, both Naoe and Kagetora had revealed their deepest feelings. Staring into each other eyes, both men felt weak and vulnerable. Naoe made the first move as he took the blushing boy's chin and kissed the soft lips above it. Kagetora quickly engaged himself in the moment and wrapped his arms around Naoe's wide shoulders. He returned the kiss eagerly as he granted entrance to his hot and watery cavern. Swimming in each other's mouth, both men couldn't stop themselves; they continued to kiss and eat away every touch of flesh, inside and out. _

_There was no boundary or limit to what they wanted. Infinite desire grew as they exchanged every breath. Mewling in their kiss, Naoe worked his hand down, slipping it in his lover's night yukata. He palmed his hand against the boy's firm torso and loosened the bandage along the boy's waist, displaying a long and slender Kagetora lying lusciously in bed. _

_"Naoe." Kagetora purred again as Naoe found his neck and planted soft butterfly kisses along his neck line. He arched his head back to grant the man more access as he felt his aching organ growing beneath his hips. _

_Naoe had gone deep and taken the boy's growing hardness before he even noticed it. While his lips explored the boy's upper body, tasting and gently caressing every crevice and fracture that he could find, his right hand fingered around the swollen organ and slowly pumping it. _

_Exotic. It was a feeling that Kagetora had never felt before. Naoe was pampering him so gently and with so much care and attention. As the older man's tongue continued to slither its way down to his navel, Kagetora felt his body's temperature boiling up as the muscle of his staff hardened under the influence of Naoe's talented hand. _

_Naoe pumped the hard erection and continued to pump as his lips planted small suction above Kagetora's genital area and his other hand secured the boys' slender waist from behind. _

_"Naoe." Kagetora moaned from the hot sensation of his arousal. Naoe's tongue had touched the tip of his erection and swallowed him whole at that moment. More and more moaning were made from his dehydrated mouth. _

_Naoe had already secured the boy's hips with both hands as his fingers crawled toward the center to find the opening. _

_Getting excited, Kagetora's body reacted unwillingly; his body got tensed and scared from its previous experiences, "No…," he whimpered with no effort. _

_Thrusting his mouth over the boy one last time, Naoe pulled his wet lips away. Lustful eyes stared at the boy as he wanted to continue eating away the delicious treat in front of him, but to satisfy his thirst; he must also satisfy his lover. He wanted Kagetora to enjoy the moment with him and not to have any unpleasant memories. "If this is too much for you to handle, then I could stop." He gently said as he leaned forward for a chaste kiss and ran his fingers into Kagetora's long silky hair. _

_"No, I want it." Kagetora wrapped his arms around Naoe's neck pulling him in for another long kiss. Slowly pulling away, he stared into Naoe's eyes with full confident; he trusted Naoe and there was no doubt that he wanted to be closer to the man above him, "Please help me forget those horrible memories and replace them with you."_

_Naoe's wish was granted. He would come on slow and easy, this way Kagetora would feel every inch of his love tunneling in. Slowly without breaking eye contact Naoe pulled off his obstructing garment and threw it out of sight. _

_Kagetora's eyes fixed on the very sight of the handsome built in front of him. Observing the man he loved; he noticed that Naoe was much larger than he was, both width and length wise. The man was perfect from head to toes. How could anyone be so perfect? _

_Naoe slowly fingered around the boy's opening and probed it. He could tell that Kagetora was uncomfortable as he circled his fingers around the entrance and spreading it between his index and middle fingers. Kagetora's eyes wrinkled in discomfort, but his cheeks glowed into a red crimson color even the dimmest light couldn't hide them. Naoe paused as he pressed the tip of his one digit against the opening and waited for a response from his lover. _

_Kagetora opened his eyes, still blushing at the sight of how handsome Naoe was. Slowly he nodded his head to hint Naoe to continue. _

_Naoe retuned his lover's approval with one digit entering the tight hole. _

_"Hgh…" Kagetora quietly moaned as the finger explored the inside of him. _

_After a few thrusts, Naoe withdrew his finger and raised Kagetora's knees up, spreading them apart. He crawled down and again took the fully erected cock into his watery mouth. Securing the boy's leg in his arms, he sucked the goodness between it. _

_The boy moaned in pleasure as Naoe's wet tongue rolled around the flesh of his erection. A hot, wet and slimy tongue continued to lavish and licked every inch of his aching hard on. Blobbing his head up and down, the gorgeous man sucked away his conscience. There was no right or wrong at this moment, but an exotic utopia. "Naoe…," whispering his surrender, he had given in completely as Naoe flicked his pre-cum slit against the slippery texture of his moving pioneer. The explorer continued to lick down the underside of his swollen organ, up and down, and then to the side, one after the other. "Nah…," the boy moaned again, feeling his head wavering incoherently. _

_Naoe continued to swallow gently as he pressured his tongue around his lover's rigid staff, wetting the stick with his saliva to bring his lover to climax. Soon the torch grew harder inside his hot and slobbery cave as he tasted the leaking cum of his lover; he released the member before it sprayed complete happiness inside of his mouth. He pushed Kagetora's thighs forward and lifted those legs up, hanging them above the Kagetora's hips while he explored between the ass right in front of him. He moved in closer and explored Kagetora's opening, lavishing it with his mouth water to prepare it for his grand entry. _

_Waves of pleasure took over Kagetora's body as Naoe prepared him and pumped his arousal. Slippery fingers ran up and down his hardness while an impatient tongue wet his sensitive spot hungrily. _

_Excitement. _

_Heat. _

_Rejuvenation. _

_And pleasure found Kagetora as he groaned out loud and spurred his semen all over Naoe's hand. _

_Naoe was pleased as he saw his lover's disoriented eyes lost in satisfaction. Licking his fingers and tasting his lover's expense, he gathered a fistful of cum and leaned forward as he whispered to the flushing boy, "This will hurt." His fingers once again probed Kagetora's opening with care and applied the soft gathered cream around it, "I'll do you slowly. Can you bear it for me?" _

_Kagetora was still wavered from his orgasm, yet he managed a smile, giving Naoe a go to continue. _

_With Kagetora's opening being wet and slippery, Naoe inserted two digits this time. The boy cried weakly as the fingers thrust inside of him, scissoring his opening to ease for a bigger insertion. A third digit was entered as Naoe leaned forward and pampered the boy with kisses to help him forget the pain from below. After a few thrusts, Kagetora seemed to be comfortable with the movement and broke away from their kiss. He urged Naoe to come inside of him. Naoe lifted his aching member and aimed it for the welcoming tunnel, rubbing the tip of his organ between Kagetora's cheeks; the boy practically mewled by the soft touch. Naoe's pre-cum erection was also excited from the little rub. _

_Slowly, Naoe went in; the tip of his hardness entered Kagetora's body. Inch after inch, he slowly pushed while thrusting the area which he conquered to ease the pain and create a subtle feeling for both Kagetora and himself. "Does it hurt?" _

_"A little." Kagetora whimpered. He had never felt this way before; this was the first time he felt good being invaded. _

_"I'm about half way in." Naoe managed to say gently. "Five more inches and I'll be inside of you… completely." He could feel his voice shaking from the pain burning beneath his navel. As he stared at Kagetora's beautiful face, the pain inside of him grew stronger. His erection was begging for more excitement between Kagetora's legs. _

_"Push it in," Kagetora said, reading Naoe's expression. He was also a man; therefore he understood completely how their anatomy worked. Naoe had shown him so much love with every kiss and every touch, so the least he could do was to bear a little rupture to release his lover from his pain. "All the way," he completed his thought and received a delighted smile in return. _

_Leaning forward, Naoe gave his lover another kiss and right at that moment, he pushed it in hard. _

_"AHhh!" Kagetora screamed; his lover had entered his body and buried deep inside of him. _

_The penetration was completed and all movement froze. Naoe saw the world around him flickering before his eyes. As he adjusted to the tightness caressing his long and thick member, Kagetora was also adjusting to the new sensation inside of his body. Both men stayed silently while studying each other's quivering expression. Faces were made and lust had obviously taken control over them. _

_"Kagetora." Naoe broke the silence and once again leaned forward to eat Kagetora's delicious lips. He entered the welcoming mouth easily and he sucked the watery juice in exchanged for his. As Kagetora engaged under his kiss and forgot everything at that moment; Naoe started his movement from below. Securing Kagetora's knees, he started slow and increased his pace as Kagetora's breathing grew into the same rhythm as his movement. _

_As Naoe thrust his thick and hard erection against Kagetora's prostate; the boy groaned and cried out loud, "Ah… Ah… Agh!" Kagetora's body was burning hot. He broke away from Naoe's neck and gripped the sheets beneath his body, "Na… Naoe!" _

_Naoe could see that Kagetora was about to reach his peak. Withdrawing his long and thick staff; he tuned the boy over onto his stomach. Kissing the nape of the Kagetora's neck, Naoe pulled away the long strands of wet hair to reveal the slender back. He glided his sweaty palm against the smooth surface and rubbed his way back down, nudging the cheeks just before he came back in. Pushing inside his lover's body, both men groaned at the moment of entry. The touch of their organs caressing against each other burned and a rush of pleasure was delivered. Naoe continued his maneuver as he moved in and out and buried deep inside the tight hole. After a few pushes, he turned the boy onto his side, securing the body firmly with his right hand holding beneath the waistline. His other hand took the boy's slender leg and hung it over his left shoulder. Aiming from an angle from the back of Kagetora's body, Naoe thrust his hot, red, and swollen goodness deep into the cave. "Ugh…!" he groaned and continued to groan out loud as he made more fast and deep thrusts. _

_"Na…" _

_"Naoe." _

_"Naoe!" _

_Kagetora couldn't help, but to call out his lover's name with every sharp thrust. Wrapping his arm around his stomach, his fingernails dug into the skin at his waistline while his other hand gripped the sheet beside his head. _

_Feeling his climax, Naoe purred his lover's name, "Kagetora!" With a final push, he filled his lover completely and sprayed his hot expulsion into the heavenly hole. _

_Kagetora's burning body had also given in. He panted heavily as he squeezed the enormous pleasure inside of him and found his second orgasm. _

_Naoe fell onto his back and pulled Kagetora into his arms. Kagetora rested his head against Naoe's chest with his arms circling around the bigger man's waist. Both men remained silent as they tried to calm their breathing while enjoying the company of their wet bodies pressing against each other. _

_After a brief moment, Kagetora lifted his head up; he wanted to see what kind of expression Naoe was wearing at that moment. _

_Catching his lover's eyes, Naoe smiled at the beautiful boy in his arms, "Did I hurt you?" _

_"No." Kagetora blushed as Naoe combed his wet hair. "You were gentle and it was… wonderful." He said shyly as he imprinted an image of Naoe that he had never seen before. The man smiled charmingly as ever, yet his eyes were glowing with spark of intimacy. It seeped an infinite and prolonging desire, which caused his heart to race and pounded madly against his chest. Naoe was looking at him as if he was the most beautiful person existed. _

_Naoe didn't break their eyes' contact for even a second while admiring Kagetora's luscious lips saying those divine words. Kagetora was extra handsome tonight; too beautiful for words to describe. Lying in his arms, Kagetora was all his and only his. "Come closer. I want to hold you for the rest of the night." _

_"You're staying with me tonight?" Kagetora asked the obvious. _

_Naoe smiled and pulled his lover in closer, "Do you really have to ask?" _

_Kagetora turned away blushing right before he rested his head back on Naoe's chest. _

_Lying completely naked against each other's soft skin, they were each other's universe. Both men slowly drifted away and a mutual rhythm found them as their hearts synchronized into one melody. _

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_Takaya's eyes seeped more tears as he saw the intimate moment, which he shared with Naoe that very night. He had loved this man with all his heart and enjoyed very second with him. It was an unforgettable and wonderful experience._

_Naoe bit his lips in regret; he was also reminded of that very special moment in time. All he could do right now was to wish to go back to that very night and stayed in Kagetora's loving arms forever. Back then, Kagetora was kind and loving. Now he had become cold and sarcastic. Yet, it made no different to him; he loved Kagetora no matter what kind of person he'd become._

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: Sorry for the slooooow update. I've had a lot going on and you probably not interest in my personal affair, so there is no point for me to give you any detail on that matter. Back to the story, there you have it, the first lemon.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 **

"After that night, you became my entire universe. Kagetora, if there is a force or a miracle which can take me back to you; I would gladly risk everything to go back into your arms and take back the most important place in your heart. Every moment of affection we had were treasured. Despite of what was happening to our country, we were in loved." Naoe whispered gentle words into Takaya's ears. As he pulled away to look at the sleeping boy, he kissed the lips beneath him. "Please wake up and tell me what I to do. You can't sleep like this forever. You need to wake up and let me know where to go from here. You've always been the driver of our relationship and you know that. Tell me what to do."

Takaya remained silent; his body's temperature started to change and his body flickered.

Naoe's eyes shot wide opened at the flickering body in his arms, "No, what's happening?" He came to realize that Takaya had been in this condition for over a week. A soul could not survive for too long if it wasn't connected to its host's body. Technically, Takaya's soul was in his body, but because it was damaged and had been sleeping all this time, the connection between the body and soul was broken. Naoe's reason for entering Takaya's body was to retrieve the lost soul and bring it back out, in other words, he had to revive the sleeping soul and connect it back to its host's body. With Takaya's condition worsened by the minute, Naoe had to wake up the boy as soon as possible.

"Kagetora!" The fear of losing his lord taunted Naoe's soul as he called to the cold body. "You cannot… You cannot die on me! I won't let you go!" Shaking the body, Naoe could see that it was ineffective. "Kagetora!" The tone of his voice stuttered as fear continued to seep and he panted heavily from his frantic actions. While calming himself down, Naoe tried to clear his head out of the clouds; he needed to find an alternative option and quick. Kagetora's body was getting colder by the minute as Naoe dug his brain. Logical thoughts didn't seem to register with him at this moment. All he could do was calling his lord's name, "Kagetora, please stay with me! Kagetora! Kagetora!"

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_As expected another battle commenced. The Takeda and Hojo armies surrounded Echigo, blocking all escape routes and water sources. _

_"Lord Kenshin, I have the latest report. The enemy has camped 10 miles within our radius and has our castle completely surrounded. At this rate, it is possible that they're planning a full charge attack by nightfall." Nagahide alerted Kenshin and the other Uesugi's Generals including Kagetora and Kagekatsu. _

_"I see, so they come at last." Kenshin replied. _

_"Should we evacuate the civilian to a safe location?" Kagetora asked. _

_"Yes, we shall and I have the perfect man for this job. Kagekatsu." _

_"Yes, Father." The younger sibling replied. _

_"I want you to take 500 soldiers and rally up all women and children in the castle plus all the civilian and secure them in our underground tunnel. This must be done by nightfall and the tunnel will take you to the next village about 20 miles from here. If everything goes well someone will come for you. Meanwhile, I want you to take full responsibility for our people's safety." _

_"Lord Kagekatsu is still young. Do you think that he could handle such a huge task all by himself?" Naoe asked. _

_"I agree with Naoe. Kagekatsu would need some guidance in this matter." Irobe added. _

_"Of course and you my brilliant Counselor Irobe Katsunaga shall assist him with this matter." Lord Kenshin replied appointed Irobe with the task. _

_Irobe couldn't question his lord firm and confident posture. He bowed in agreement, "I understand." _

_"My decision is final." Kenshin confirmed and continued to explain his reason to ease the concerned Generals. "Kagekatsu has never been actively involved in any battle and I don't want him to get into one just yet. This mission shall be his first insight of war and with Irobe's excellent guidance they should have no problem evacuating the people." After addressing to his Generals, Kenshin shifted his attention back to his youngest son, "Kagekatsu, I want you to take this mission. I want you to learn that the safety our people are very important. Interaction with them will also help you see the reason why we fight to protect and serve justice. I want you to take on this task for this very purpose and I'm confident that one day very soon, you'll be fighting alongside with Kagetora and our fine Generals in the front line. Patient is the key my son. When the day comes for you to fight, we shall witness Nagahide's swordsmanship play by your hands." _

_"Yes, I understand and I shall complete the given task as you wished." Kagekatsu replied. _

_"Good! While Kagekatsu and Irobe bring our people to safety, Kagetora, Naoe and Nagahide will stay here with me and wait for the Takeda's and Hojo's armies. As Nagahide had said, they will probably attack when night falls." _

_"Are we just going to stay in the castle and wait for them to attack us?" Nagahide asked. _

_"Yes, that's exactly what we shall do." _

_"Why father? Doesn't that leave us in a disadvantage of the situation? Shouldn't we hold our ground outside the castle?" Kagetora questioned. _

_"Under normal circumstances, yes, but we have a special treat for them this time. Irobe, explain to Kagetora and the other about our little tactic?" _

_"Yes, My Lord." Irobe replied and started the explanation, "You see, when Lord Kagetora and Naoe were missing, I was in charge of the search party for them. During my search, I ran into an old friend and apparently he's still with the Hojo clan." _

_"Do you mean…?" _

_"Yes! It's our little friend, Haruie Kakizaki." Irobe replied before Naoe was able to finish his question. "After our exchange two years ago, who would've thought that he's still alive?" _

_"Hmm…" Both Naoe and Nagahide nodded while Kagetora and Kagekatsu stood by and tried to understand what was going on. It appeared that the two adopted siblings were the only two who didn't know who this Haruie Kakizaki person was. _

_"Haruie will be the key to our success in this battle. He will penetrate the Hojo army from the inside and stir them up before they even know what happen to them. The Takeda will probably be waiting for backup in the front line, but back up will never come. This is the point where we attack, with the Hojo army being helpless and the Takeda confuse with what's happening, we shall focus our main force on the Takeda army and chase them down to the last person." _

_"This is what they deserve. It's payback time!" Nagahide exclaimed with excitement. _

_"I just hope that this will all work out." Naoe said, not too convinced. _

_"Who is this Haruie Kakizaki? Can we truth him?" Kagetora asked, feeling a little uneasy as the memories of the last battle tensed him a bit. _

_"We can trust him." Naoe said as he placed a gentle hand on Kagetora's shoulder, "Haruie is a trustworthy man; there is no doubt about it. I know that you're having doubts because you've never seen him, but don't worry, he's just like you." _

_Kagetora made a frown. _

_"Like you, he's young. And like you, he was the person in exchange for you two years ago in our alliance with Hojo." _

_Kagetora's confused expression disappeared. 'So he's the other hostage.' As Kagetora learnt, during times like these, different clans often entered into an alliance or what they also a called treaty to secure a relationship between two or more clans. Often time they would trade hostages for security reasons. In an alliance made between the Uesugi and the Hojo clans over two years ago, Kagetora was sent to the Uesugi clan while this Haruie was sent to the Hojo clan. He felt more at ease knowing that this person (Haruie) had experienced a similar fate as he did. _

_"Everything is according to plan and this time we shall not fail!" Kenshin announced. _

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo _

_Kagetora found himself wandering to the top of the castle's wall staring out into a distance. Another battle was coming and the thought of fighting Hojo was a bit uneasy for him. _

_While Kagetora sighed into the distance, Naoe came from behind and wrapped his arms around his lord. "Is something bothering you?" He asked. _

_"Naoe." The young lord raised his right arm and placed it on Naoe's embrace. "This battle…" _

_"It cannot be avoided." _

_"I know, but…" _

_"If you cannot wield your sword against the Hojo army, I understand." _

_"It's not that I can't do it. It's just…," raising his other arm, Kagetora hugged himself while holding on to Naoe's touch, "I know that this is bound to happen sooner or later, but I cannot draw a sword against them. Even after what they've done, they deserve to die, but… I don't have the courage to fight back. It's not because that I'm afraid of them, it's just because they're still… family." _

_"You've always been kind and righteous. I know that you have a gentle heart. That night five years ago, when you saved me from the Takeda, I knew that you would grow up to be a strong yet kind hearted man." _

_"So you remember that night? I didn't think that you would remember the little boy from so long ago." _

_"You were…," Naoe paused with another smile, "very brave and cute too." _

_Kagetora quickly looked away to find the castle's gate to hide his crimson cheeks from embarrassment. _

_After a moment of silence in each other arms, Naoe tried to ease his lover's uneasiness, "You don't have to fight them if you don't want to." _

_"But… I have too, it's my responsibility now." _

_"I'll take the Hojo. You and Nagahide could fight the Takeda instead." _

_"No, what would Nagahide thinks of it if we change formation now?" _

_"I think he'll be okay with it. I doubt he understands what is going on, but he's a reasonable man. Plus, I don't want to see you getting hurt over this." _

_Before Kagetora replied, he felt relieved that Naoe understood him. He had never thought that anyone would have taken him seriously and care for him as much as Naoe did. At this moment in time, Naoe was everything to him. Knowing that he had someone important by his side; he replied thankfully, "Thank you." _

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo _

_The Takeda didn't wait for nightfall to make their move. Soldiers armed in weapons and archeries were attacking the front castle's gate before the crack of dawn. _

_Nagahide on the top level of the castle directed his soldiers to guard the castle at all cost, acting as if they were surprised. He continued to trick the Takeda while Kagetora and Naoe were waiting to launch a full scale attack once the Takeda broke inside. _

_As predicted the Takeda broke in and charged right into the awaiting Generals. Kagetora and Naoe immediately dashed into battle on their horses and their soldiers from behind charged on their feet. _

_The Uesugi drove the Takeda back outside the castle's wall. Nagahide soon joined forces with Kagetora and together they fought the Takeda to create a diversion for Naoe's army to break away into another direction. Naoe and his army successful broke away and headed straight for the Hojo clan. _

_The battlefield became ugly as soldiers from both sides exchanged blow after blow, swords were wielded and arrows were flying in the air. Death, madness and the feeling of fear dreaded over each and every soldier, yet they continued to fight, driven by their own purposes and desires, they fought to the end. _

_Surprisingly led by a skilled General of the Takeda army; the battle continued on for two consecutive days. Thousands of soldiers died and many were still fighting, but there was no sign of back up. The Hojo army never came. Seeing that they were out number, the Takeda General signaled his troop to retreat. _

_Still in the heat of battle, Nagahide chased after the opposing General, "No, you won't!" He charged on his white stallion with his sword drew to the side as he called out to his enemy, "Kousaka Danjou Nosuke! I'm not done with you yet!" _

_Clanked! Sparks from the impact of the two blades glittered between the two handsome and skilled Generals. _

_"Nagahide Yasuda, you're as fierce as ever." _

_"It takes one to know one." Nagahide replied, still holding his sword against Kousaka. _

_Meanwhile the two exchanged their swords; a green flare from afar shot into the sky and caught their attention. _

_"It looks like your back up army is defeated. They're not coming. You're out number and your force is decreasing quickly. Surrender Kousaka and we'll let you live." _

_"I rather die!" _

_They continued the fight on their horse as they wielded their blades one strike after another. _

_Kagetora had also noticed the signal from Naoe's troop and withdrew his soldiers from the battle scene. He felt that there was no need to chase after a defeated army. Most of the Takeda soldiers had fled the battleground, leaving the one General behind fighting to protect his pride. As Kagetora and his troop marched back to the castle, he noticed the intense fight between two skilled sword masters. _

_Nagahide with the upper hand managed a final blow and sent the Takeda General to the ground. His helmet split into halves as he landed on the field of battle. There revealed a face, an image of a certain General whom caught Kagetora's eyes. He dashed his horse straight into the battle scene between Nagahide and the fallen Takeda General. Nagahide was about to wield to blade one last time. "General Danjou Nosuke!" Kagetora called out just in time to block Nagahide's sword from entering Kousaka's body. _

_"Lord Kagetora! What are you doing?" Nagahide questioned his lord, who was holding a sword against him. _

_"Spare him." Kagetora demanded. _

_"No, I have enough of him! He's been around for too long and had fought too many battles against us. Leaving him alive is a threat for the Uesugi." _

_Kousaka lying hopelessly on the ground was also confused. Why would another Uesugi General be defending him? He took this opportunity at the spur moment and slain the horse above him. The defenseless animal heaved a painful moan as it collapsed and its master fell down along with it. Kousaka immediately drew his sword against the anonymous knight in armor. "Let me go or I'll kill him." He threatened to kill the hostage in his arms with his sharp blade against his hostage's neck. _

_"General." Kagetora spoke with much disappointment, but as he suspected Kousaka didn't recognize him. _

_"Bastard! Let him go!" Nagahide demanded the release of his lord as he glared sternly into his enemy's dark purple eyes. _

_"I'll take him with me. Until I feel it is safe then I'll let him go then." Kousaka pulled away slowly walking backward as he took little steps with his hostage securely placed under his blade. _

_In between the intense glare and little steps, a shadow from afar had jumped off his horse and snuck up to the complex scene without anyone noticing him. _

_As Kousaka continued his retreat, a surprise came from behind. Another blade spoke to Kousaka's neck, "Let my Lord Kagetora go!" _

_"Naoe!" Kagetora recognized his lover's voice. _

_"I'm sorry My Lord. I should have come back sooner." Naoe replied. _

_"Isn't this nice, three against one? Is this what you call fair?" Kousaka sneered. _

_"General, please drop your sword and I promise that no harm should come to you." Kagetora said calmly to the person still holding him captive. _

_"I've been in too many battles to fall for that trick." Kousaka replied. _

_"Believe me, I shall keep my words." Kagetora said once more as he slowly raised his hands to take off his helmet. _

_"What are you doing? Don't move or else I'll…" _

_"It's okay. We've gone back years ago. Don't you remember me?" _

_Kousaka couldn't believe his eyes as Kagetora turned around, "Saburo…?" _

_"It's been a long time, General." The smile from the little boy five years ago painted on his face as he greeted the kind General he once knew. "I'd never expect to meet you again in a situation like this." _

_"Saburo, I thought you were dead. Ujimasa said you'd died long ago." _

_"Yes, Saburo Hojo had ceased from his world. The person standing in front of you is known as Kagetora Uesugi, one of Kenshin Uesugi's successors." _

_"I see, so that's how it is now. Then there is nothing for us to talk about. " _

_"As Kagetora Uesugi, I have an obligation to kill you, but as a friend and the one in debt to you, I need to keep my promise. I've made a promise to you a long time ago to repay you for what you've done for me, so today let me return you a favor and fulfill my promise. Lay your sword down and I shall keep my words and let you go unharmed." _

_"This is war Kagetora Uesugi and you shouldn't show any mercy to your enemy!" He replied and immediately pressed his sword into Kagetora's flesh. _

_Kagetora gasped at the sudden move. _

_"We shall die together." Kousaka's sword instantly drew blood from the tempting flesh on its blade. _

_"No!" Naoe instantly slid his sword upward and the tip of his sword made contact with the base of Kousaka's blade. Both swords flew forward and landed tip-down in the red soil in front of them. Kagetora took this moment to escape from Kousaka's grasp as Naoe strangled the man whom attempted to kill his lord. He pulled Kousaka away from his lord and gave the shorter man a few hard punches in the gutter. _

_Kousaka fell to his knees as he coughed out blood from Naoe's assaults, "There is no need to pity me." He said as he saw Kagetora's eyes seeping concern. "I've seen war a lot more than you do. Your friends Yasuda and Naoe could say the same. I've may lost this battle, but the war is not over yet and if you don't get rid of me now then I shall come back again and again until the Takeda army wins this war." _

_Kagetora knew well that Kousaka would do anything for the Takeda army especially for his lord Shingen. Growing up, there was never a time when war ceased to exist. War was a constant plague that ruled this land. As a soldier and a person who was born in this era, there was no way out. He was expected to face death over and over again until one day peace would finally find this land. "So let it be." He replied bluntly. "I shall meet you again and the next time, I shall wield my sword against you with no regret." _

_"Are you just going to leave him alive?" Nagahide questioned his lord with a bit of annoyance in his tone of voice. _

_"Yes." _

_"But?" _

_"Nagahide, you know better than to question your lord's decision." Naoe scorned at the disrespectful companion. _

_The two Uesugi Generals exchanged glances, fierce and irritated eyes stared at each other. Nagahide sighed and surrendered his attitude. Naoe slightly smiled in returned. _

_Kagetora then said his farewell, "Stay alive until we meet again. The next time, we shall be enemy." _

_Kousaka didn't say a word; he couldn't agree nor disagree with Kagetora. During war, if they were not on the same side then they were enemy. It was just that simple and the next time that if they should meet again, then they would be enemy. Looking up to see the kid that he once knew, he was happy to see that Kagetora had grown up. The helpless child whom he rescued seven years ago had become a man of his equal strength and confident. _

_"Let's go, we need to report back to Lord Kenshin." Nagahide broke the silence stare between Kagetora and Kousaka. Everyone agreed with him and headed back to the castle's ground leaving the one man behind staring at them as they slowly walked away. _

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo _

_As the men entered the castle, Naoe handled his lord's weight in his arms, wrapping one hand around Kagetora's waist. "Are you okay? Does your neck's wound still hurt?" _

_"I'm okay. It's just a scratch." Kagetora replied as he looked up and saw Naoe's eyes examining his neck. _

_"If I came back earlier then this wouldn't happen."_

_"Don't say that." Kagetora pressed his fingers over Naoe's moving lips. _

_Nagahide observed the young lord and his comrade's conversation and thought that it was out of the ordinary how they expressed their concerns in such a gentle and passionate way. "Hey, come to think of it, you did come back sooner than expected. Didn't we just see the flare signal a few minutes before you show up? What happened to the Hojo clan? And where is Haruie? Did you catch up to him?" _

_Before Naoe answered the thread of questions, a troop of soldiers and horses galloped up to the castle's gate. "You want answers; you can ask him." Naoe pointed to the young man in front with his long hazelnut hair tied up into a ponytail. _

_"Is that who I think it is?" Nagahide asked. _

_"Nagahide! Naoe!" The young man jumped off from his horse and ran up to the two Generals. _

_"Haruie! It is you!" Nagahide also jumped off to greet his long time friend. _

_"I'm so happy to see you!" Haruie gave Nagahide a long loving hug. _

_"Hey, that's enough. I haven't seen you for a while and you're still the same as always, too emotional." _

_"Is this how you greet an old friend?" Haruie pouted as he released the grumpy General. _

_Naoe stood aside with Kagetora still in his arms and just smiled at the reunion. _

_"Hey, Naoe! I'm sorry, I didn't see you there." Haruie said as he noticed the person in Naoe's care. "Is this…?" _

_Naoe nodded before the question was asked. _

_"My Lord," Haruie kneeled down, "I'm Haruie Kakizaki, one of Lord Kenshin's former retainers and I'm glad to be back in service." _

_Kagetora was pleased to finally meet the mystery young man and as he could tell Haruie was not much older than him. Looking at the three Generals in front of him, Naoe was probably the oldest, then Nagahide and then came Haruie. "Welcome back," He said with a welcoming smile, "and you've done an excellent job in aiding us to our victory." _

_"Thank you, I'm glad to be of service, My Lord." _

_"Enough with the formality. What happened to the Hojo clan?" Nagahide questioned as his friend stood up. _

_"Their force is completely destroyed." _

_"Completely?" Kagetora asked trying to hide his anxiety. _

_"Yes, the base is destroyed, but their leaders Lord Ujimasa and his younger brother Ujiteru have managed to escape from the turmoil. After Naoe eliminated more than half of the Hojo clansmen, he left me in charge. I tried to located the two brothers, but they were no where to be found. I think that they might have disguised themselves during the battle and fled the scene." _

_"I see." Kagetora spoke with a sign of relief. _

_"It's been a long battle and everyone is tired. Lord Kenshin is expecting to see us. Shall we go together?" Naoe said calmly as he handled Kagetora's weight. _

_"Yeah, of course! I haven't seen Lord Kenshin for so long. I wonder how the old guy is doing." Haruie was being down to earth as he wore a cheerful face. "Nagahide, come! You'll be my escort." He dragged Nagahide and headed in front while Kagetora and Naoe limped behind them. _

_"Is he always like this?" Kagetora asked, seeing that Haruie was a bit of the weird side. _

_"He… well, I guess you can say that." Naoe replied. _

_"So, you came back for me?" _

_"I had a bad feeling, so I followed it back here. If anything were to happen to you, I don't know how I'll handle it." _

_"I'm glad you did." Kagetora smiled showing his appreciation. _

_And Naoe returned a smile. _

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

**End of Chapter**

Smile: I had to introduce Haruie and closed up the chapter between Kagetora and Kousaka from the past. This chapter was made for these purposes.


	15. Chapter 15

Warning: There's a lemon in this chapter.

**Chapter 15 **

_War and death continued to plague the land. Naoe and Kagetora found peace at each other's sides fighting battles after battles. Day they fought and night they loved. They were the most important person in each other's lives. _

_Five years past. At a blink of an eye, time had flown and as time grew so did their relationship. Time and affection healed Kagetora. As Kagetora grew older, he became a greater man; everyone knew him for his outstanding leadership and respected him for that. The past no longer taunt him, but the future sometimes teased him. Now that he had all he wanted, he had nothing to be afraid of, yet there was one and only one thing that would frighten him from time to time. _

_Another cold night shared its breeze on the land of Echigo. Kagetora lay in bed and couldn't get rid of the feeling that something dreadful was about to take place. After a few hours of unrest, his body took over and slept. While resting peacefully in his own bed; he dreamt about Naoe. After a heated loving making scene with Naoe, the man he loved left without a word. Naoe walked toward the exit and the door opened by itself as if it was waiting for Naoe to leave. As soon as the door opened, the night light cast into the room displaying a shadow in the center. Stood outside of his room was a person that Kagetora would never expect to see, his adopted brother, Kagekatsu was standing there wearing a smear look on his face. The younger sibling stood cunningly as Naoe came out and bowed down to him and together they left. Kagetora couldn't believe his eyes; he stood there motionless as he screamed, "Naoe!" _

_"Are you okay?" Naoe caught Kagetora the minute he woke up from his dream. _

_Kagetora felt the need to snuggle in Naoe's arms. He was sweating. He was panting. He was agitated. The image of Naoe leaving him was disturbing him. "Why are you so late tonight?" He asked breathlessly. _

_"I had some personal errands to do." Naoe replied with a little hesitant in his voice. _

_"Personal?" Kagetora asked curiously. _

_"It's nothing that you should be concern with." _

_"It's Lady Ai, isn't it?" _

_Naoe pulled away and wore an apologetic expression, "I'm sorry, but I can't leave her. I'd made a promise to protect her." _

_"I know you and your promises." Kagetora said bluntly and yet too straightforward for comfort. _

_A heavy pause took over as the two looked at each other in the dark night. _

_"Kagetora, you know that I'll do anything for you. Ai-chan can never take your place; no one can." _

_"That may be true, but isn't it the same with her? I cannot take her place either. Sometimes, I want to be in her shoes. She has every right to claim you as her husband. What do I have?" _

_"You have my love. Is that not enough?" _

_"Sometimes I feel as if this is all a dream and one day you will leave me for that very reason. You will leave me for someone else. The thought of losing you is like thirsting blade waiting teasingly against my skin as if it knows that blood will pour out from my body immediately as I collapse from the lost of losing you. I know that you love me and I feel the same way, but the more time I spend with you, the more I begin to wonder if I have any right to call you my lover. As a man you belong to your wife. As a soldier you belong to my father. I could feel your heart," he placed his palm against his lover's chest, "it's responding to my feelings and saying that it belongs to me, but…" _

_"But what?" _

_"It's only a part of you. You could call me a fool, but I want all of you. Is that too much to ask for? Am I selfish for wanting you? I can't help myself, but I want every part of Nobutsuna Naoe. I love him too much." _

_Naoe immediately embraced his love, kissing him hard and passionately. Diving into his lover's delegate mouth, he kissed like there was no tomorrow, fighting for the snaky length, he sucked it. His kisses came down fast as he planted butterfly kisses on his lover's chin, down to his lover's throat and lowered as he tongued the hollow indent where the collarbone jointed. _

_Feeling his breath getting hot and dried, Kagetora could only moan in pleasure. As he fell under Naoe's spell, he forgot everything that was bothering him; his dream, his wanting and his obstacles. _

_"I love you, remember that," Naoe whispered as he rose and kissed Kagetora's trembling lips. "And I'll always love you no matter what happens or where I may be." He continued to say in their kiss. "Even in my grave, I shall cherish only you." _

_Kagetora gave in easily; the man above him had always had his way to seduce him, making him submitted and craved for more attention. "Naoe," he moaned and once again surrendered himself into a night of passion. _

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo _

_Months later… _

_Lord Kenshin gathered everyone from his retainer for an important announcement. "I'm getting old." He announced and everyone stood speechless. "I know that my days are coming to an end." _

_"My Lord?" Everyone voiced their concerns. _

_"I know what you think," Lord Kenshin replied. "I may look able and healthy, but no one can avoid old age. Eventually, every man will face the same yet terrible truth of life." He smiled as he saw the understanding faces of his followers. "I can feel it approaching closer every day, so before anything should happen, I find that it's necessary to appoint my army among Kagetora and Kagekatsu." _

_"Appointment?" Kagetora asked with a single word with a pinch of curiosity yet maintained a calm tone of voice as he continued his second question to clarify his father's statement, "Do you mean separating your army?" Although his external voice was clam, but his internal voice was shaking beneath his skin. Something in his gut was telling him that he didn't like the sound of what was happening. _

_"For every able leader, behind him is a line of supporters and followers who believe and oath their loyalty to him. Naoe, Nagahide, Irobe, and Haruie; you are my top four Generals and have been providing me with excellent services. Can I expect the same services from you serving my heirs?" Lord Kenshin sincerely asked, making eye contact with each of his Generals one at a time. They all bowed and swore their loyalty to do the same. "Good! I know that I can count on your support. Now as to who will be assign to whom, I've already considered it and made my determination upon Kagetora and Kagekatsu's strength and area of imperfection." _

_A pause took place for no longer than a minute, but for Naoe and Kagetora that moment developed an extreme amount of anxiety. They held onto their breath and waited for their Lord to free their lungs. _

_"Naoe, Nagahide, Irobe and Haruie." The Lord called his generals as he appointed each of them to a new leader. _

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo _

_"The stars tonight don't shine as bright as they normally do." Kagetora stared at the thick clouds and dim crescent moon. _

_"Well, it is the winter season and the sky is a bit gloomy to have any good view." Haruie replied standing right next to Kagetora on the highest floor of the castle. "Are you displeased with Lord Kenshin's decision?" _

_"I'm sure that father has a reason for the way this turns out." _

_"If you believe that Lord Kenshin has a legitimate reason behind his doing, then why do you look so disappointed?" _

_"Disappointed?" Kagetora repeated the word as if Haruie had read his mind. Ever since Kagekatsu appeared in his dream with Naoe, he noticed a wall had been establishing between them. This wall wasn't visible to anyone and he didn't know whether it was he or Naoe who created it, but he felt the presence of the wall grew stronger everyday. _

_"I've been watching you for the last five years. I know what's going on between you and Naoe and believe me, it not only me who've noticed it." Haruie continued the conversation. _

_"What are you talking about?" _

_"Don't play dumb with me! Everyone could see what's going on. You and Naoe are affectionately involved." The other boy snorted back. _

_"Is that the way you speak to your lord?" Kagetora raised his voice. _

_"Hey, don't give me that crap! We're practically brothers. I could see right through you." _

_Letting out a heavy sigh, Kagetora returned to his usual gesture, "Is it that obvious?" he asked half mindedly. In the past five years, he had been working with Haruie after he came back from Hojo; Kagetora had learnt that Haruie could be very noisy from time to time, but he was a good guy, hanging around and talking to him had always been easy for Kagetora. Maybe the reason why he felt safe and not guarding himself against someone else other than Naoe was because Haruie had experience the same fate as he did, for both being trade off as hostages. _

_"Well yeah and we were very surprised when Lord Kenshin announced his arrangement that he did." Haruie replied feeling a bit sorry for how thing turned out. _

_"What do you suppose father was thinking?" _

_"I'm not sure, but Lord Kenshin's order is absolute. He will not change his orders once they've been given." _

_"I'm well aware of that." _

_"Lord Kagetora." A soldier greeted him from behind. "Lord Kenshin requests to see your presence in his chamber immediately." _

_"Father wants to see me now? Did he say what's it about?" _

_"No, His Lord didn't mention anything of the matter." _

_"Alright, I'll be there shortly. You can return to your post." _

_"Yes, sir!" _

_"What do you suppose Lord Kenshin wants to speak to you about?" Haruie asked curiously. _

_"I don't know." Kagetora replied bluntly as he felt a strong disturbance in his chest, something terribly wrong was about to take place. "Well, I shouldn't have father wait for me." He managed to say, keeping his voice from shaking from nervousness. _

_"No, you shouldn't. I'll accompany you to his chamber." Haruie offered. _

_"No, that's not necessary." _

_"Then Irobe and I shall report to you tomorrow morning." _

_"That's fine. I'll see you guys then." Kagetora replied and took his leave to see his father. _

_Kagetora found his father's chamber. Standing in front of the door, he felt nervous and panicky. Drawing in a deep breath, he opened the door, "Naoe?" The man appeared right in front of him, yet there was something different about Naoe tonight. Naoe didn't look very happy to see him. _

_"Lord Kagetora," he bowed and stepped aside for his lord to enter the room. _

_"Is something the matter?" _

_"No, nothing is wrong My Lord." _

_Kagetora narrowed his eyes as he stared into those purple orbs, something didn't feel right. _

_Naoe surrendered a smile, trying to ease Kagetora's gaze without showing too much expression. _

_With the sight of Naoe's forced smile; Kagetora wanted to interrogate the man even more, but he didn't want to make a racket in front of his father's chamber. He knew that he would have a chance to ask Naoe later tonight, so he let Naoe go. As Naoe left him behind, the room he entered and the door he shut behind him. "Father, I came as you requested." He greeted his father who was staring at something in a distance outside from his window. _

_"Yes Kagetora, come in and take a seat." Lord Kenshin turned around from where he stood and greeted his son. His son complied and seated himself on the wooden chair from the guest table located in the center of the room. "It's been a while since we have a father and son talk." Lord Kenshin continued with a calm tone of voice, "I would like to speak to you about your future and goals. I have high expectation for you and I know that you will not let me down." _

_Kagetora kept his modesty and stayed quiet as he listened to what his father had to say. Whatever it was, he knew that it wouldn't be good; his gut feeling had already determined that. _

_"I want you to get marry." His father continued. _

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo _

_Later that night, Naoe came by to visit Kagetora. Once he entered his lover's chamber, neither he nor his lover said a single word; they stared at each other intensely as if they were trying to figure out what was on the other man's mind. With no word said, the two of them attacked each other with kisses and before they knew it, the bodies were exposed completely. _

_"Right there, flick it right there." Naoe panted small breaths, his body bucked and his naked form arched back against the wall with Kagetora holding onto his swollen member. _

_Slowly eating his lover's yearning, Kagetora flicked the rubbery tip as he was told. After a few rounds of assault, licking, slurping and rotating around the big bulb of his lover's arousal, Kagetora felt his own need growing harder between his legs. The pain for his own release caused his to produce more and more wetness as it glided smoothly along the large stick. Blobbing the tip in and out of his mouth, he sucked gently yet with enough pressure to receive small moans in return of his carefulness. _

_Naoe moaned, groaning his pain as he admired how beautiful Kagetora was taking him from below. His long hair pulled down touching the tatami floor with his soft lips and slender fingers working on his hardness. The lubricious touch of his lover teasing on his skin felt so good, but at the same time it was overwhelming. Feeling frustrated, he took another glance at his lover and at the moment, he cried; his length had disappeared into his lover's mouth and Kagetora had begun to move up and down on his number one, slurping it hungrily. The very sight of Kagetora taking him fired up his utmost and wild desire. The pain was too much and the sight was too beautiful. Looking at the picture of Kagetora swallowing his length, he couldn't control himself; he wanted to see that pretty face flushed with more beauty and cry out in madness. Carefully, he withdrew his length and pulled his lover up to his feet. _

_Kagetora stood up; his weary eyes plead for his lover as he licked his lips tasting his lover's scent. While he wanted to continue, he couldn't understand why Naoe would just stood there and stared at him as if he had gone away for a long period of time and needed to collect every detail of his feature again. Kagetora could feel the sharp and alert eyes of Naoe observing him, his face, his eyes, his lips, his neck, his shoulders, his chest and down to his legs. Every inch of his body was exposed for Naoe to admire. _

_After the short minute of admiration, Naoe took his lover's head and planted a kiss on the shorter man's forehead. "You're so beautiful." He whispered and quickly made eye contact again to make sure that Kagetora heard him. _

_"Naoe, you're acting…? Hmm…" before Kagetora was able to finish his question, Naoe had taken his lips, '…weird.' _

_Breathing and catching their breaths; they moaned into their kisses and everything surrounding them faded into the background. They attended each other's craving bodies and made their excitement known loudly. Body heat engulfed the two lovers as they found comfort on the floor wrapping each other's bodies in their arms. _

_Naoe pulled away from the warm embrace and found his lover panting in lust, "I love you so much," he whispered. _

_The blunt words were appreciated and sank deeply into center of the body lying on the flat surface. No matter how many times Naoe had said those words; Kagetora had always loved to hear them. Those words were like music to his ears; the soothing sound of his lover's voice telling him how much they were in love. Harmony was all he felt, with Naoe by his side he didn't need to worry about anything. Everything that he ever needed was right here with him. Showing his pleasure, he smiled charmingly as he pulled his lover down, "I love you too, very much, more than you could ever know." He said right before they clashed into another kiss. _

_While Naoe's kisses mounted on his lover's lips; his hand found his lover's entrance. Slowly penetrating the small hole, his fingers buried themselves deep inside the cavern. _

_"Ah!" Kagetora whimpered, panting heat into his kiss as he felt his lover's long digits moving in his body. _

_Naoe continued his journey; he rubbed the inside of his lover's slippery tunnel with his two fingers. Finding his lover's sweet spot, he thrust his fingers against it. _

_Kagetora broke away from their kiss; his lower body bucked, his chin tilted up toward the ceiling, his eyes fluttered and his mouth opened, "Hah!" _

_As soon as their lips disconnected, Naoe found himself planting kisses on his lover's neck. Quickly he nibbled the erected buds beneath that slender neck, taking one after another, leaving a trail of salvia as he went down lower and took the red blossom between his lover's legs. "Mmm… mmm…," he moaned from the back of his throat as he sucked the delicious stem. _

_Overpowered, Kagetora couldn't hold himself between the thrusting on top and the thrusting beneath; his hot stem cried for release. Breathing franticly, his hips buckled up, pushing his length into his lover's wet hole. _

_The pressure of Kagetora's hardness pounding against Naoe's throat was hard to swallow. He quickly withdrew his fingers from beneath and held onto lover's buttock with both hands. Allowing the muscles in his throat to relax, he continued to move his mouth up and down the engorged stem, taking the long stick greedily to allow his lover the pleasure of reaching climax. _

_Wrapping his legs around his lover's neck, Kagetora knew that he would come at any second. Groaning madly, his lover released his stem and took it back in one fast and hard stroke. "Arghhh!" he whimpered and immediately splurged out his lover's name, "Naoe!" _

_Naoe maintained his position as he enjoyed the pungent taste of his lover's cum. Licking the last drop of his lover's expense, Naoe pulled himself up with Kagetora's legs still hanging around his neck. He took the legs and bent them forward, hanging them above his lover's hips as he aimed his hardness against the tight hole; he pushed in fast and hard. _

_"AHH!" Kagetora screamed from the strong thrust. Still wavering from his first orgasm, he panted heavily, "hah-huh, hah-huh, hah-huh…," as he tired to adjust his body to the thickness of his lover's length inside of him. _

_Naoe found himself drown in his lover's tight hole, the feeling of warmed flesh enveloping his member felt so good. He could stay in there forever if he could. Feeling his pain growing bigger inside his lover's body, Naoe pulled his length out halfway and thrust it back in. He continued to move in and out of his lover's body, keeping a constant rhythm as he pulled more and more of his hardness out each time and thrust it back inside the now wet and elastic hole. _

_Mewling from intense pleasure, Kagetora's body quivered each time Naoe hit his prostate. His fingernails dug the tatami floor. His head lost between his long strands of hair dancing from side to side. _

_Seeing how lost Kagetora was, enjoying the pleasure that he delivered. Naoe's fingers explored his lover's mouth, rubbing those dried lips and thrusting his fingers in and out the hot crying opening. _

_Kagetora welcomed the two fingers and licked them. His hot breath warmed his lover's fingers as his hunger tongued around the long claws. Crying his lover's name once again, "Naoe," he felt the member between his legs grew harder. "Naoe. Naoe!" He cried while his tongue continued to wet the two digits on his lips. _

_"Agh!" Naoe groaned, reaching his peak; he quickly lifted Kagetora up from the flat surface. Still buried inside his lover, he kissed the boy hungrily, sucking the luscious pulps as he wet his lover's lips. "Kagetora," he moaned in their kiss; his tongue released his lover's slimy length with a few more flicks as he withdrew. A trail of saliva followed him as he pulled back and captured his lover's lustful eyes staring at him. He returned a smile as he grabbed the slender hips on top of him and rocked it up and down his standing staff. _

_"Ah! Agh! AhH!" Kagetora breathed, each and every time his body slammed down and the opening of his hole kissed his lover's base; his fingertips dug deeper into Naoe's arms as the movement continued. _

_"Nghnngh… Ngh…" Naoe groaned, feeling his organ wanting to explode, his head shifted back as his lover continued to ride him from above. The suction on his member brought him to a void; mixed emotion took place at the same moment as he felt wet and hot. He gripped on tighter to the sweating body above him and thrust harder, pushing his stick against Kagetora's body as it ran down rubbing his pain. _

_Reaching climax, both men groaned. _

_"Naoe, please…" _

_"Kagetora, come with me." _

_Kagetora's breathing got faster. The deep voice of his love, groaning and calling out to him was all he needed to hear, "Ahhh!" _

_"Arghhh!" _

_They came, their slippery bodies slowly collapsed as they let their semen spilled inside and out. This was proof of their love, their passion and their desire to be together. Completely exhausted from their exercise, they rested their heads on each other's shoulders with their arms embracing their melting bodies. _

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(Present Time)

In the dismal darkness, Naoe felt as if there was no hope in saving the cold body in his arms. Calling out his lord's name, "Kagetora!" feeling hopeless, his body reacted by itself, generating a warm aura from within him. Suddenly, he realized that his spiritual energy could save the boy. He immediately focused his strength and transferred his energy to Kagetora. Holding the boy in his arms, an orange wave of spiritual energy engulfed their bodies.

"It's working." Naoe whispered to himself. He could feel his own power weakening as the boy's body got warmer by the second.

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_A long quiescent silence took place as the two lovers sat in each other's arms. The simulation of heat had cooled down and the room was getting colder by the minute. Naoe took the initiative in breaking their bond. He found and pulled his lover's yukata over the smaller shoulders and cradled the smaller form carefully to the comfort of the warm cushion. After his lover was comfortably lying in between the warmth of his bed and cover, Naoe dressed himself. He sat beside his lover and indulged his moment being the only person in his lover's eyes. _

_"Is something wrong?" Kagetora asked, seeing how Naoe looked at him; it was the similar look from before when they were making love. _

_"I just want to remember you like this. I want to remember how gorgeous you are." _

_"It's not like we're not going to see each other anymore. You could look at me as much as you want and whenever you want because I'll always be here for you." _

_"I know," Naoe pulled the long threads of hair away from Kagetora's face and leaned forward to give him a goodnight kiss on the cheek, "but when thing seems to be perfect, chaos finds its way to ruin a perfect harmony." _

_"What do you mean?" Kagetora asked franticly, feeling his heart skipped a beat as it raced against his chest waiting for a response. _

_"I…," looking away, Naoe heaved a heavy sigh, "I can't see you anymore." _

_"What! Why?" _

_"This is the last time that I shall allow myself to be in your quarter." _

_"What are you saying?" Kagetora sat himself up. _

_"I can't be with you anymore." _

_"No!" Kagetora couldn't believe what he just heard. "How can you do this to me? Is this because of what happened today? Is this because of father? What did he say to you?" _

_Turning back to face his Kagetora, Naoe replied, "No, Lord Kenshin has nothing to do with my decision. I'm doing this for you. Kagetora, no matter what happen to us. I want you to remember that everything I'm doing is for you. I love you and I will always love you." _

_"Damn it, Naoe! You're not making any sense. If you love me, then why are you doing this? What do I have to gain with you leaving me?" _

_"You're the heir of the Uesugi's clan. Your father's decision in splitting his retainer to both you and Kagekatsu could only say that he intended to have either you or your brother to take over." _

_"I don't care about any of this! All I want is you and you should have known this by now." _

_Leaning forward, Naoe held his lover's face in his hands and planted a simple kiss on the lips between them. As he let go, Kagetora tried to catch his lips, but Naoe didn't linger on long enough for that to happen. _

_"Naoe, why?" Disappointed, Kagetora caught the hem of Naoe's kimono. _

_"I'm sorry, but it has to it ends here." Naoe shook off Kagetora's grip and stood up. _

_"I need you, Naoe. Stay with me." Kagetora begged. His arms reached out and found the hem of Naoe's sleeve once again. He pulled it as he pleaded for the man's attention. _

_Naoe had already turned around, head down and wasn't looking at Kagetora at all. He couldn't bear to see the look on his lover's face. Without saying another word, he walked forward and pulled away. _

_Kagetora sat frozen, immobilized in his bed; he couldn't move anymore. The world had collapsed right in from of his eyes. Looking at Naoe getting further and further away from him, he couldn't believe what was happening. 'This has to be a dream. All of it, it has to be a dream.' He thought as he pulled the cover over his cold body and hugged himself. _

_The sound of the sliding door made Kagetora realized his reality as he peek one last glance at the man who was leaving him. A cold shoulder was all Kagetora was able to see. Naoe finally shut the door and vanished from the gloomy room, "Why? Damn it! I love you, NAOE!" _

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(Present Time)

"NAOE!" Kagetora screamed his heart out as he emerged from his nightmare.

"Ka… getora," Naoe said, almost teary eyes from his word, "you're awake! Finally…"

The boy immediately held onto the body in front of him, feeling relieved that Naoe was with him. While he found his center in Naoe's arms, his memories were still in play mode.

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_The next morning, Kagetora woke up with a terrible headache. Everything that happened last night felt like a dream. How could Naoe break up with him after so many years? If their relationship didn't work out, then it would have ceased from the beginning. _

_"Lord Kagetora!" A voice called to him from outside. _

_"Lord Kagetora!" Another voice called to him, "We need to get ready for our departure." _

_"Huh? Agh…" He groaned from his bed. Apparently, he had fallen asleep some time last night. Getting out of bed, he opened his door to find two alert and energetic Generals. _

_"Good Morning, My Lord." Irobe said, smiling at the sleepy face in front of him. _

_"Man! What happened to you? You look dead!" Haruie said his greeting. "Did you forget about our journey to the northern border? We need to greet Lord Kenshin before leaving this morning." _

_"I remember," he said in a dull, almost dead tone of voice, "let me wash off this headache and I'll meet up with you." _

_"Well, then please get ready and we'll wait for you in the conference room." Irobe said politely as he accompanied his younger friend and left Kagetora's quarter. _

_"Good, don't be late!" Haruie said as he toggled alongside with Irobe down the wall. _

_Kagetora sighed, with what happened place last night, he almost forgot that his father had assigned Irobe and Haruie under his command. Today, he and Kagekatsu were to dispatch along with their assigned retainers to the north and southern regions of the Uesugi's domain. _

_The conference meeting with Lord Kenshin was tough on Kagetora. He had to maintain a straight face through out the whole session. Everyone was there, including Naoe and his new master. Naoe and Nagahide were assigned to Kagekatsu. Per Lord Kenshin's reasons, because Kagekatsu wasn't much of a swordsman; he needed the protection from the two best fighters. In contrary, Kagetora had become an excellent fighter and his swordsmanship skills had become superb, therefore he needed the wit and cleverness of the other two Generals instead. Still, Kagetora wished that Naoe was on his side. _

_The meeting was dismissed and everyone was exiting the room one at a time, each had a mission to accomplish. Kagetora could care less about the mission, he had already sworn to protect the Uesugi no matter what. Whether or not his father ordered him to do so or not, he would willingly wield his sword against any opposition. Yet, this mission was not intended on the sole purpose of protecting the Uesugi clan; it was also a test that his father foresaw to make his decision as to who would take over his title. Looking at Naoe from the corner of his eyes, he could care less about succeeding his father. He wanted to confront Naoe about what happened last night. _

_Once Kagetora was outside, he had a chance to meet up with Naoe face to face. 'Are status and power more important than our relationship?' Without saying a word, he asked the older man silently through their intense gazes, yet Naoe displayed a straight face and said nothing in return. "So, this is it. You're going to fight for Kagekatsu from now on." _

_"Yes, it's my sworn duty to fight for whom I serve." Naoe replied bluntly. _

_"I see, so this is the man you are. You live to obey your master. Listen and obey are the only two things you know how to do." _

_Naoe didn't want to argue, "Yes, this is who I am." _

_Another sharp and observing glare took place as Kagetora cast his eyes upon his lover. Just then, an unexpected visitor came to greet them farewell. _

_"Good Morning, Lord Kagetora," Lady Ai bowed to show her respect as she continued to show her courtesy to Nagahide who stood furthest away, standing beside her husband, then to Haruie and Irobe who were standing behind Lord Kagetora. _

_"It's nice to see you again." Kagetora replied, keeping an upright composure. Lady Ai was as beautiful as the first day he met her, but today somehow she glowed with more radiant than ever. "Are you here to see Naoe?" _

_"Yes, I want to see him off. It'll be a while before he comes back again." _

_"Yes, it would be." Kagetora agreed, knowing that each time they depart for a battle; it would take months or even years for them to return. Sometimes he envied her patience. She would wait for Naoe no matter how long it took and happily welcomed him home each time. _

_Lady Ai smiled as she approached her husband. Standing beside him she cast another smile to everyone. "I wish everyone the best of health and I'll be waiting for your return." Right at that moment, she directed her attention to Kagetora, meeting his eyes. "This time when you come back, there will be the two of us to welcome you home." She gently placed a hand on her abdomen area. _

_"Do you mean that you're expecting?" Haruie asked from the side. _

_"Yes," she replied, "now waiting wouldn't be as lonely." _

_"Congratulation!" Haruie continued, "I had no idea. Naoe never mentioned it." _

_"Yes, congratulation!" Irobe commended. _

_"Yeah, same here." Nagahide paid a tribute to the conversation, but showed little enthusiasm. _

_"Thank you." She said happily. _

_Kagetora stood in shock, his eyes wide opened and he didn't even blink from the news. "I see it now; everything is so clear," he said cunningly as he looked at Naoe. Shifting back to Lady Ai, he gave her a blessing, "I wish you and the child well." _

_"Thank you, My Lord." _

_"I look forward in meeting the child when we come back and I shall send you my wedding invitation as well." He paused right at that moment to make eye contact with everyone, especially with his ex-lover, "Father has arranged for me to get married, therefore everyone is invited to celebrate the event with me." Kagetora suddenly disclosed his arranged marriage without thinking. At first he had denied it, but with the change of events, he couldn't think straight anymore or care for the matter. _

_"Really? That's wonderful." Lady Ai said joyfully. _

_This time Naoe stood there looking at Kagetora's poker face expression. Somehow he felt that Kagetora's decision in matrimony was to get back at him, but he had no right nor did he had any authority to stop or say anything to persuade his lord otherwise. All he could do now was to wish for Kagetora to be able to find happiness. "I'm happy for you. This is great news and I'm sure that Lord Kenshin is proud of your decision. When that day comes, I'll make sure to be there." He said in a controlled, calm and untainted tone of voice. _

_"Good!" Stepping a foot forward, Kagetora felt his world turning completely upside down. He walked away in a swift movement, passing Naoe with nothing more to say, but from that moment, a grudge grew and from that day metamorphosis began. _

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**End of Chapter **

Smile: I think I'm losing it. The more I write the more fluff and out of focus I become. (Sigh) Anyways, Happy New Year!


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 **

"So this is how it all started," Takaya smirked, "the 400 year battle."

Hearing his lord's awaken voice, Naoe was relieved, but he had a feeling that it wouldn't be for too long.

"Bastard!" Takaya pushed away from the warm body that was holding him and the big screen TV also shut off at the same moment. Complete darkness took over the void space. A long silence also took over as the channels in Takaya's memories opened up and everything from his past life filled his mind as if light had shared its gift and opened the doors to the darkness of his past; a fast forward movie was played.

Standing up, Naoe generated yet again an orange light similar to the one he did when he first came into this darkness. The darkness lit up and he found his lord about ten feet away from him, sitting with his head to the side, his eyes closed and his arms wrapping his knees. "How are you feeling? Are you hurt?"

"…" Takaya didn't answer; he was trying to digest all the missing pieces of the puzzle that had instantly came back to him.

"If you're able, then we should get you out of here. I don't know how long I've been in here, but time is against us and we need to get out of this place immediately."

"How do you suppose we do that?" Takaya finally lifted his eyes to find a man standing in between the burning flames sizzling around his body.

"We need to connect your soul back to your body. There should be something in here like a door, which would open up the path to synchronization."

Takaya sat still while observing Naoe; his chest hurt and his breathing grew faster as he looked at the god-like person in front of him. Naoe appeared so radiant and handsome between the auras of flames.

Naoe stayed silent for a minute or two watching how Takaya looked at him. Those fierce eyes looked at him with madness; a madness that he couldn't describe. Was it anger? Was it fear? Or was it attraction?

'This man,' Takaya thought silently, 'This handsome man was once loved and cherished by Kagetora, by me, so why did it end up this way? He had saved me over and over again. He loved me, protected me, but he was also the one whom had hurt me so much.'

Naoe broke away from his thought. It was more important to save Kagetora and get both of them out of this dismal place. "Let's go. I'll help you get up." He offered Takaya a hand.

"No!" Takaya smacked it away. "I'm not leaving!"

"What are you saying? You can't stay here, you'll die."

"I don't care! I'm not leaving here. I don't want to, not yet."

"…" Naoe was startled. Takaya's anger came out of the blue.

"I didn't want to accept it. I've always wanted to believe that I am Takaya Ougi and no other," feeling a bit emotional or whether irrational, Takaya's vocal came trembling, "so why, why does Kagetora's memories have to come back to me now?"

"…" The taller man's eyes narrowed as he listened and tried to make out what his lord was trying to say.

"I'd always known from the moment that I'd met you, that something deep inside of me had awakened. It wanted to break free, but at the same time, I'd wanted to suppress it."

"Why would you hold it back?" Naoe questioned.

"Because…," Takaya slowly stood up and faced the taller man standing in front of him, "that was what I'd told myself years ago or should I say that was what Kagetora had said 30 years ago. He didn't want to remember. He wanted to bury his past. He wanted to disappear and to forget every good and bad thing that happened to him."

"Why would you want to forget?" Naoe suddenly grabbed the younger man's arms in anger. "You're the one that's been torturing me! 400 years, I've waited and 400 years you've twisted my love into hatred. If there should be anyone who wants to forget, then that person should be me, but still I cannot allow myself to do that. So why…, why?"

"I wanted to forget everything: you, me, our past and obligation."

Gripping tighter, Naoe bickered transcended his madden eyes, "…?"

"Why should I remember? Isn't our past filled with misery? Isn't it better that we forget it?"

"That's not right." Naoe took Takaya into his arms. "Although it may have many sinful and resentment moments, but it was our history. It was what brought us together. I would not be standing here right now, if those events in our lives never happened."

Takaya stood inactively in Naoe's arms as he spoke to the warm chest against his face, "Everything right now feels like a dream. It's like a movie and we're just playing our part out as the story line goes and the plot gets deeper."

"I know… a story that started over 400 years ago…," Naoe said as he wrapped his arm tighter around the smaller body. Takaya couldn't help, but wished for this moment to last; the touch of Naoe's arms around his body and the wonderful feeling of comfort indulging him at this very moment. This was where he wanted to be. As Takaya engaged himself in Naoe's arms, he could feel Naoe's heartbeat; it was a smoothing rhythm, a symphony that he had long forgotten. This was the same sound of affection, which he had enjoyed so long ago. The rhythm soon faded as Naoe's voice vibrated, "… a story which created a twisted relationship between two men who deeply loved and hated each other. Yet, when my time comes to an end and when I draw my last breath, I would still say… I love you, Kagetora. I've always had and always will. You mean everything to me and you're the only reason that I have continued living all these years."

Takaya broke away as he caught Naoe's keen, devoted eyes staring at him. The two exchanged no word as they stood and looked at each other as if a mutual understanding existed between them. Takaya finally gave in as he broke into a low and sincere tone of voice. "If I mean everything to you, then why did you leave me? I don't understand. Why did you break up with me back then?"

"The circumstances back then were different. I was…," Naoe looked away, "a man. Back then power, status and honor were important. A man took pride in what he had and what he promised. I was a loyal servant and that was all I was, a follower, a worshiper. I can only worship you. I have no right to have you, to hold you and to love you. You were the heir of the Uesugi's clan. You were out of my reach or so, that was how I was convinced to leave you. In loving you, I was holding you back from your succession and prosperity."

"So you left me because of that? That nonsense! Didn't I tell you that I didn't care about power and status?"

"Leaving you was the hardest decision I'd ever made." Turning back, Naoe showed much regret in his eyes. He raised his hand up to touch Takaya, but he his fingers found themselves digging into their palm instead and his hand fell back down. "During the time of war, the strong wins and the weak losses, and that were the law of survival back then. To ensure your survival and your place as the next Uesugi's leader, I had to cure you of your only weakness and that was me."

"Idiot!" Takaya roared; his anger showed through his intense eyes staring at Naoe's baffled ones. "How could you be so blind?" Takaya reached out and yanked Naoe's shirt with both of his hands while he snapped, "Curing me of my weakness… that's full of crap!"

A heavy silence took place as Naoe faced the heated boy, but couldn't offer any word in return. The moment of silence didn't last long as Takaya settled back down onto the flat surface of the dark space. Naoe stood watching his lord curled up into his arms again. Feeling exhausted by his flames, Naoe's aura slowly vanished as he found his place beside his lord.

In the darkness, Takaya found Naoe's shoulder. He leaned his head against the older man's body as he spoke to the blackness surrounding them, "I'm tired. My entire body is so weak and my head hurt. I don't know what to do anymore."

"You've just regained conscious, so of course you're still weak." Naoe wrapped his arms around Takaya's body.

"What are you doing?"

"Helping you get up. We need to leave this darkness. I could feel me energy draining. I don't know how long I'll last, but we need to find the door or else, we might both be stuck in this darkness forever."

"Wouldn't that be nice? To be with me forever…"

"This is no time for joke, Kagetora."

"Who says I was joking?"

"Shh…, look."

"What?"

"I think I see something." During their conversation, Naoe picked up a spark from afar; it was in a distance no more than twenty feet away from them.

"Really?" Takaya focused on the dim light. As the two men observed closely; it looked like a human figure. "It can't be."

"Yuzuru?" Both men questioned.

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Takaya moaned as he eyes fluttered open, tiredly he took in his slow breaths and scanned his surrounding.

"Kagetora, he's awake!" Haruie exclaimed.

"He came to? I'll go and let my brother know." Lord Kojiro leaped from his chair and left the room.

"Look who decide to live after all." Chiaki uttered from behind Haruie.

"Thanks goodness, you're alright! Chiaki hand me the wet towel." Haruie commanded, reaching out to grab the fresh towel from her friend who apparently did what he was told in an instant.

"You know what? I think you owe us a favor for taking care of your ass all this time." Chiaki said as he came closer to the revived boy.

"What are you bitching about?"

"Don't take it wrong, Kagetora. He's been very concern about you and Naoe." Haruie said as he wiped off Takaya's sweats.

"Naoe? Where is he?"

"He's in the room next door." Chiaki replied bluntly.

"Naoe." Takaya shifted his weight and quickly stumbled off a numbed leg right onto Haruie.

"Be careful!" Haruie caught him, but was off guard and stumbled back a foot herself.

"Sheesh!" Chiaki quickly stepped in from behind and stopped the two from falling, "Don't you idiots know anything about standing up before walking?"

"Would you just stop your foul mouth attitude and help me with Kagetora? He may not look it, but he's heavy." Haruie told off her smart ass friend as she handled Kagetora's weight in her arms.

"Jeesh, like I haven't done enough already." Chiaki complained while leaning a hand to assist Takaya up to a standing position. "You know I've been chasing that nut ball Oda around all this time while sleeping beauty here rest peacefully in his bed."

"Quick yapping and help him walk. He's been sleeping for over a week, so his muscles must be tense."

"Are you going to be okay, dude?" Chiaki asked.

"I'm good, thank you."

'Now that's the first,' Chiaki thought. He couldn't remember the last time Takaya ever said thanks to anything he had done before, or maybe he just never noticed it.

Takaya managed to walk with his friend's help. Entering the room next door, he took a few more steps before he collapsed, kneeling beside the edge of Naoe's bed frame. "Naoe?" Looking back at his friends, he asked while shaking his head slightly in confusion, "Why isn't he awake?"

"I don't know. It's just maybe…" Haruie uttered a reply.

And Chiaki bluntly completed it, "Maybe he didn't make it."

"But…, I was holding him the whole time when we escaped that darkness. He must have escaped that hell with me, so why didn't he wake up at the same time as I did? Why? Naoe! Wake up!"

"Lord Masamune will be here any minute. He should be able to check on Naoe's condition and tell us what happen." Haruie said as she held Takaya's shoulders from behind, rubbing them to provide him with some comfort.

"Whatever it is, I think it's because Naoe has been in your conscious for too long. He must have weakening his energy level and wasn't able to make it out." Chiaki explained.

"But, I was sure to see him existed the door with me. In the light, he was with me until… until we were force to…"

"Lord Kagetora!" He entered the room along with his younger brother Kojiro.

"…?" Takaya looked at the taller, older man and couldn't recognize him. "You are…?"

"I'm sorry, let me introduce you." Haruie quickly realized that Takaya had never met the Lord of Date. "Kagetora, this is Lord Masamune, leader of the Date Clan. We'd been staying here in Sendai ever since you got attacked by Oda. Lord Masamune and Lord Kojiro have been very concerned about your condition."

Standing up to greet Lord Masamune properly, Takaya bowed to show his appreciation, "Thank you for all your help."

"No need for that, Lord Kagetora. We're on the same team and it's necessary for us to have you back on our side. After all, we have Oda to deal with."

"Oda…?" 'That's right he's been resurrected.' For a moment, Takaya had forgotten about Oda and the foreseen trouble to come. Trying to balance himself from falling, he could care less about Oda and his evil deeds. What he needed at this moment and concerned for was Naoe.

"Why don't we discuss this matter later?" Chiaki budded in. "We still have a corpselike body lying here to be concern of."

"Yes, of course." The Lord of Date replied as he made his way to examine the patient in bed.

"Is there any chance for him to survive?" Haruie asked, casting her sight at the lifeless man.

"We could only hope so." Lord Masamune replied as he gently touched Naoe's forehead. Closing his eyes and directing on his power to his fingers, he received a faint response in return; it gave him a breath of relief as he smiled and said, "He's weak, but I think that he'll make it."

Everyone in the room was please especially Takaya, who almost sure that his heart skip a beat as he heard those words.

Lord Masamune looked up as he caught his brother's dark eyes looked at him doubtfully, "Kojiro, it's up to us now." He said.

"I understand." Lord Kojiro complied and found his place standing beside his brother.

"Kojiro and I will assist Naoe from here. Would you please leave us for a moment?"

"What?" Takaya immediately responded without thinking, "No! I want to be here…"

"Don't be reckless! We need to give the man some space." Chiaki said as he held onto Takaya's arms from behind, supporting his lord from collapsing like he almost did before.

"I have to agree with Chiaki on this one. We need to let Lord Masamune do what he must to save Naoe. Everything will be alright." Haruie said gently while casting a gentle smile to ease Takaya's mind from worries.

"I know that you're concerned about Naoe's condition, so I'll do my best to get him back to you. All I ask of you right now is to get well. Wouldn't you agree with me that Naoe would appreciate it very much that when he opens his eyes, a well and healthy Kagetora greets him?"

Feeling pathetic, Takaya looked away to a corner, "You're right. I need to… be better."

The three Uesugi Yasha left the patient's room shortly after without any further intention of staying or interfering. They retreated to Takaya's room leaving the two Date brothers alone with Naoe.

"Are you sure about his brother?" Lord Kojiro asked, sitting behind Naoe's with his legs crossed in front and his arms stretched out holding Naoe's weight against them.

"Yes, while there is still live in his body, we have to do this now. We need him. He's the only one that can bring Kagetora's real power out." Lord Masamune replied, sitting in front of Naoe with his fingers crossed in a meditating style. "I'll be transferring all my energy into his body. It should serve as an electric wave that runs into every nerves of his body and regenerate them. His body is about to reach its limit and may refuse to my energy wave, therefore I need you to compress the energy within him and not to let it escape as I send it in."

"I understand."

"Good."

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_"Naoe!" _

_"Let go!" _

_"No!" _

_"The whirlpool is too strong! Let go of my hand!" _

_"No! We're going back together! Hold on to me! Naoe! Naoeee!" _

Taking in deep breaths, Takaya opened his eyes to a familiar voice. He found Haruie sitting by his side with a concern look on her.

"Are you okay?" She asked while wiping off the cold sweats from his face. "I've been calling you for a while, but you seem to be in a trance."

"I was…" he stopped abruptly as he grabbed Haruie's wrist, "No, Naoe? How is he?"

"He is as stubborn as you are."

Takaya winced; he didn't get the message.

"Don't worry. He's fine. He's resting next door."

Releasing her arm, he sighed, "That's good."

"Hey, is that a smile?"

"Wha…?" caught by surprise, Takaya's voice broke with a bashful look as he avoided Haruie's gaze.

"Hmm," She grinned and quickly changed the subject, "Why don't you get dress and have some breakfast? After that, you should visit Lord Masamune. He requests that you meet him as soon as you've regained your strength. You've been sleeping for two days straight and I think that's enough rest, don't you think?" She winked an eye as she stood up and disposed the damp cloth which she was using to wipe off Takaya's sweats.

"How long have I been out altogether?" He asked, pulling himself up into a sitting position.

"It's been about two weeks."

"I've been so useless." hitting his folded palm against his mattress, "That much time has past and all I've done is causing everyone to worry about me."

"Don't say that. Right now your recovery is most important. We would need your strength to get rid of Oda and to save Yuzuru."

"Yuzuru…," reminded of his friend, Takaya's gaze transcended through Haruie, 'why did he show up in my conscious?'

"I'm sure that we'll be able to save him, so don't get depress over it. I'll go get you something to eat while you change, okay?"

Looking at Haruie, he didn't know what else to say, so he agreed and nodded, "Thanks."

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"Everyone is looking for you."

Takaya turned his head around as he heard Chiaki's voice speaking in the background.

"What are you doing sitting in a sacred place like this? Praying to Buddha won't solve anything."

"I'm not praying," Takaya looked away. "I just happen to be lost. This place is huge and I just ended up here in the temple."

"Is that right?" Chiaki observed the other boy. If he happened to be lost, then why would he be in a kneeling position in front of Buddha? It was too obvious, but he'll ignore it for now, "Whatever man."

"How is he?" Takaya asked; his voice was low enough that it almost sounded like a whisper.

"He… meaning Naoe? If you're so curious, then why don't you go and give him a visit."

"…" Takaya hid away his eyes and gazed at the tatami flooring of the temple hall. He hadn't visit Naoe since the last time he visited with Haruie and Chiaki.

"You know, you're starting to piss me off with this silent behavior."

"I don't want to argue with you. Can you just leave me alone for a moment? I'll come meet you guys later."

"Stop this bullshit attitude of yours! If you worry about him, then go see him. Why do you think he hasn't come to yet? It's all because he wasted his strength saving your ass. You act like you care for him so much by sitting here praying this?! What have you done for him so far? Naoe has always been in these situations because of you, so the least you can do is to visit him and maybe take care of him a little."

Standing up rapidly, Takaya grabbed Chiaki's shirt, "Fuck you! I'm confused right now! I don't know how to deal with him!"

Staring into Takaya's dark eyes, Chiaki could see them filmed as if tears were trying to hide beneath those swollen, dark circled eyes. Heaving a sigh, he retreat his harsh attitude, "If you care for him, then you know what to do."

"But I…," gripping tighter, Takaya's fist turned white against Chiaki's shirt.

"Hasn't it been long enough? It's been four centuries. Couldn't you forgive him? I know that you still hold a grudge against him. Every one of us Yasha knows about it, but we try to ignore it hoping you and he would find a solution of your own. You've gotten your memories back, so why are you hesitating? If you ask me, it should be clear to you that you're more at fault of this misunderstanding than he is. He may have started it, but you made it worse. You've used his misfortune and tortured him for 400 years."

"So you're saying it's all my fault then?"

"No, it's has gone beyond that. Forget whose fault it is. I think that you should just make up with him."

"It's easier said than done."

"What am I suppose to do with you two? If you don't get your act together now, then how are you going to…?" He sighed. "You know I've been doing all your work while you're gone, so it wouldn't hurt for me to take over a little longer. I'll continue my investigation with the Date and try to pinpoint the location where Oda is keeping Yuzuru. Why don't you just get your ass straighten up and start doing some peoples some good around here."

"Chiaki…" Takaya realized for the first time that Chiaki was being very considerate; it comforted him somehow, seeing Chiaki showing some compassion toward him.

"Naoe would be very please to see you," he said in a gentle tone and on top of that, with a smile no less.

"I'll go, but before I do that I want to ask you something," Takaya replied, "something in the past that even my memories couldn't answer it."

"What is it? If I know the answer, then I'll tell everything that you need to hear."

"I want to know about the scheme of Samegao Castle. On the day which I died 400 years ago, why didn't Naoe come to me?"

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: The story has shifted back to the present, but don't worry, if you're waiting for a conclusion of the past, it will eventually come up as the more chapters progress.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 **

"Kagetora," Naoe moaned in his sleep.

"I'm here," Takaya replied, sitting at the edge of Naoe's bed with his fingers tightly clutching to the fabric of the blanket over the sleeping man's body. He continued to sit there observing the handsome man moaning in his sleep, but felt uneasy with every moan calling out his name.

Three days had past since Takaya escaped from the darkness of his own conscious, but Naoe was still in a trance all this time. Thanks to Lord Masamune and Lord Kojiro, Naoe had managed to avoid death; he had gone through the most crucial moment of his recovery, but because of the amount of time he had stayed in Takaya's conscious; his body was exhausted and became unstable, therefore he required more time to recover.

"Naoe, you fool…" Takaya said, swallowing his words; his fingers were still clutching to the blanket tighter than before, "You didn't need to put yourself in danger because of me. I'm not… worth it…" Making two white fists, Takaya pulled back his hands and stared into space, "I don't want this. I don't want to feel like this anymore."

(Flashback)

"What kind of shit are you pulling? Of course, he came for you!" Chiaki's voice roared as he replied to Takaya's question from earlier regarding the scheme of Samegao Castle 400 years ago in Otate. "In his near death condition, he came trying to rescue you!"

"Did he?" Takaya couldn't construct anymore words; his voice reacted, but in a low tone, hardly coherent. He was in a fluttered state, everything was happening too fast for him to comprehend, his feelings and the things that he saw and remembered from the depth of his conscious, they caused worms in his stomach and the weight above his shoulders was difficult to maintain.

"You're a fool! Idiot! You shouldn't have any doubt about that. What have he been doing so far? Every time you're in danger, who is person by your side? Every time you're near your death bed, who is there caring for you? Naoe has always been there for you no matter what the circumstances are."

"I'm just so… I don't know… I remember what happened, but I can only feel anger and despair; the last thing remember seeing was a sea of flames. I waited in the flames… somewhere inside of me I know that he will come to me that was why I waited for him. I was hoping to see him before everything collapsed, but the flames and toxin took over my lungs and in the confusion, I took my life before I was able to see him."

"All I could tell you is that he did run into that flaming castle. What happened after that I don't know, the castle collapsed and the flames continued to burn everything it touched into ashes. In the end, he died with you in that sea of fire."

"On my last breath, I thought I felt a presence holding onto me, was that Naoe? Everything was in smoke, nothing was clear anymore by that time. Could it have been just my imagination, just an illusion that I was hoping for before I die?"

"I don't know; it's hard to say, it could be either way. During that era, loyalty and trust were valued, but treacherous foul play also took place to advance the hierarchy latter. Yet one thing I know for sure, Naoe has always been on your side."

"…"

"What I mean is… oh, forget it. You should talk to Naoe, when he wakes up, ask him what happen. This way you'll get a satisfy answer and you'll come to know the reason why he couldn't make it in time and the reason why he let you die in that flame, it has a lot to do with Lord Kagekatsu."

(Flashback Ends)

"Kagekatsu…? Why?" gasping a breath, Takaya hid his face in his right hand, "Have I mistaken him all this time? Things happened so fast, one thing led to another and before I knew it, I hated him. I hated him so much that all I wanted was to see him suffer. Was that what I really wanted?" Thinking hard, Takaya dug his memory bank to reason why he, Kagetora did such terrible things to hurt the man whom he loved so much. Gritting his teeth, he tried to swallow his tears and before he knew it his other hand had also risen up to help covering his face. "No, that wasn't it. The reason why I wanted to see him suffer was because… because… I… couldn't…"

"Kagetora?"

"Hah!" Caught by surprise, Takaya quickly hid away his weeping expression to find Naoe lying in bed with a smile on his face.

Naoe quietly admired his caretaker as his vision come to focus.

"Are you okay? Do you need anything? I'll go get it for you."

Licking his upper lip, Naoe replied, "I could use some water, but… I rather enjoy your company here more than anything."

"Jeesh, you've just woke up and already you're hopeless. I'll go get you some water and tell the others that you're awaked." Takaya stood up and as he was just about to step forward, Naoe managed to grab the hem his shirt. "What?" He snapped. "Is there something else you want?"

"No…, thank you." Naoe smiled.

Takaya quickly turned back to face the door, "It's no problem," he replied and rushed to the exit.

"Kagetora! What's wrong? Why are you running in the hall? Naoe isn't…? Is he…?" Haruie asked, thinking the worst had come to her friend, but couldn't get it out into words.

"No! He's fine! He's actually… came to."

"He's up? Really? Yeah? Of course, he would… he wouldn't… I, I…, I should tell the others." Haruie was so happy that she stuttered and her eyes tears.

"Yeah, tell the others. I'll meet you guys later."

"Where are you going now? Naoe's up, shouldn't you be with him?" She shouted from behind as Takaya continued his run in the hallways.

"Water! He said he wanted some water!" The boy replied as he dashed away and turned at the end of the hall.

"That's sweet, but the kitchen is this way." Shaking her head while wiping off the tears which were forming at the corner of her eyes, she wore a happy smile as she took her steps toward the opposite direction.

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Takaya slowly opened the door with a glass of water in his hand. Gathered around Naoe, everyone was standing, forming a semi-like circle in front of Naoe. As Takaya walked in, he noticed there some water and food on the table along with some medicated rub and medicine. Heaving a low sigh, he placed his glass of water next to the other items and quietly made his way to the crowd.

"Naoe is recovering rather faster than I have expected." Lord Masamune said as he stepped away from Naoe after examining the patient.

"That's good." Haruie commented.

"Brother, you are alright?" Lord Kojiro asked his older brother.

"Lord Masamune, you're looking pale. Are you okay?" Haruie quickly concerned

"I'm fine, nothing to worry about." The lord of Date replied.

"I'm so sorry; we've been a burden to you. You must be exhausted with all these examinations." Haruie apologized.

"No, it's quite all right. I'm glad that I was able to help and don't ever hesitate to ask me again if you need assistance." Lord Masamune replied kindly. "Well, if you would excuse me, I have other agendas which I wish to discuss with my clansmen. We think that we have a good clue to where Oda is hiding. I'll update you once we've confirmed his location." And he excused himself, walking past the Uesugi Yasha as he met Takaya standing inertly in his path. He gave the boy a gentle pat and paced away swiftly.

"If you would excuse me too, I'll see you guys later." Lord Kojiro quickly said and left the room, following his brother's footsteps.

Looking back at Naoe, Haruie wore a gentle smile, "The Date has helped us a lot. We owe them big time for this."

"Yeah and that's all the reason why you need to get back on your feet, so that we can join the Date to fight Oda and his annoying vassals." Chiaki added, speaking to Naoe.

"I understand; we should grasp this opportunity. I'll do my best." Naoe replied to his friends as he caught Takaya standing statue-liked in the middle of the room, gazing at him. "Lord Kagetora," he smiled, calling his lord's name softly in contentment.

"Naoe," a reply slipped from the frozen boy as he continued to gaze at Naoe and a slight smile also found his lips.

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Later that night Naoe was up on his feet. He needed to get breather and to flex his stiff muscles. Walking down the corridors, he stopped right in front of his lord's bedroom debating whether or not he should proceed to see his lord. During the day, with everyone concerning about his health, he didn't have many opportunities to speak to Kagetora. There were so many things that he wanted to confront Kagetora and to clarify all the misunderstanding from the past with the young man he loved so dearly.

"Huh…," he sighed, after standing in front of the door for more than 20 minutes, he turned away and headed back to his sheets.

"Who's there?" Takaya couldn't sleep either, he was turning and twisting in bed as he felt a presence of someone and quickly turned around, removing his cover from his head, he saw a quick glimpse of a shadow outside his room. "Is it… my imagination… could it be…?"

While Takaya was talking to himself, trying to confirm whether or not he was imagining things, Naoe made it back to the entrance of his room. "Haruie? What are you doing here?" He asked surprisingly.

"I should ask you the same, Mister? Why aren't you in bed?" She scolded him.

"I was thinking about… No, it's nothing… I just needed some air. I felt tired just lying in bed all day, so I took a walk."

"So did you visit Lord Kagetora?"

Naoe stared at her for a quick second and realized that she could see right through him. He grinned at the thought as he leaned toward the balcony right in front of his room and looked up into the night sky. "I did," he finally replied, "but I didn't have the courage to knock his door."

"You're alive so be happy. You'll have your chance to speak to him."

"I know, but it's strange, I've been waiting all this time for him to forgive me and right now it seems that he's giving it some thoughts. In the past, he had always ignored me and pained me, yet this time, while we were in danger, he was trying so hard to save me. I couldn't help, but think that he has forgiven me, but I'm not so easily convinced; I want to go to him, hold him, pin him down and make him mine. Then and just then, I'll know for sure that it's not just wishful thinking on my part."

Haruie grinned, "You're getting ahead of yourself. Seeing you two both alive make me so happy and I'm sure that he feels the same way as I do. Before you woke up, we thought that we would lose you. Lord Kagetora was very concerned and in his weak condition, he demanded to see you. I've got the feeling that he understands what's going on and realizes his emotion, yet part of him is still that stubborn teenager we know as Takaya Ougi, so I don't think that he would come out clean and say what he needs to say right away. Give him some time and I'm sure everything will work out fine."

"You think so?"

"Yah, of course! Women intuition, ya know?"

"Oddly, there were times that I thought wouldn't it be better to have him stay that way and be Takaya Ougi instead of Lord Kagetora. That way the past wouldn't return to pain us, but then… I would just be running away from reality, because once he remembers, it would have ended up the same way. He would hate me again as much as he did in past 400 years and we would repeat your game of love and hate all over again; the cycle will continue to spin endlessly. Now that he has his memories back maybe it is better this way; there is nothing to hide. We could confront our past and our present and maybe start over."

"Hey, there you go, that's the way to think!" Haruie gave her friend a pat on the back. "Like I've said, everything will work out, so don't you worry about it too much. Now let's go inside, we don't want you to catch a cold."

"Thanks, you've been a very supportive friend Haruie. Over the years, you and Chiaki have always been around to assist me and concerned for me."

"Give me a break! Of course we're always here for you. We're all each other have and not everyone have a friendship that spread 400 years long, you got me."

"Indeed, that is something very special." He smiled and she walked him into his room.

"Naoe…" Takaya rested his head against the wall around the corner of Naoe's room. After eavesdropping to what Naoe and Haruie's conversation, he wandered back to his room in silent.

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Back in Takaya's room, he lay quietly under his soft cover while his mind traveled back to the moment of his escape, the moment where he held onto Naoe's hand so tightly that he was afraid of letting go because if he did, he was afraid that Naoe would have gone forever and would never come back to him. The thought of losing Naoe was so frightening that he held on to the very end.

(Flashback)

"Yuzuru?" Both men questioned.

"You see him too?" Takaya asked Naoe and the man nodded. "So it's not my imagination, but why? Why is he here?"

"I don't know. I'm as confused as you are. Shall we approach him?"

Yuzuru stood waving from afar; it appeared that he wanted them to come forward. Naoe and Takaya exchanged one last glance as they confirmed their decision to move toward the waving boy. Slowly they reached Yuzuru; the boy returned a gentle smile as he held his arms out, offering one hand to each of his friends.

"Yuzuru, are you alright?" Takaya asked. "I was so worried the last time I saw you. Why are you here?"

Yuzuru's smile quickly faded away as he stared into Takaya's dark eyes observing him. "I'm sorry," he replied and looked away for a brief second. "Let me help you…, give me your hands," he offered looking sincerely.

"What are you saying? I should be the one apologizing. I wasn't able to… Hey! What's happening?!" Takaya was stopped abruptly as Yuzuru grabbed his hand. A whirlpool began to form as it pulled him into the center. "Yuzuru!" Takaya called to his friend whom appeared to vanish the instant the whirlpool was created, "Yuzuru! Yuzuruuu!"

"Lord Kagetora!" Naoe was also sucked into the whirlpool as he caught up to Takaya and reached out for his lord's arm.

"Naoe?" Takaya immediately grabbed onto Naoe's arm, holding onto his wrist as well. "What's going on?"

"I don't know. It appears to be some sort of black hole and it's sucking us in."

"Hold on to me and don't let go!" Takaya commanded as he held on tighter to the man beneath him.

Looking up, Naoe saw Takaya's body flying upside down; his legs and left arms were being pulled up by the strong wind. "What do you think is happening? Do you think that this is a way out?"

"I don't know how to explain this, but I have a feeling that Yuzuru is creating this. It must be the way out of here."

"You're right! There's light at the end of the tunnel. That must be to door back to the living."

Quickly they were transported to the tip of the spinning tunnel and rays of bright lights filled the open space of the whirlpool.

"Damn it!" The bright atmosphere blinded Takaya's eyes for a second and as he reopened them, he could hardly see Naoe behind him. "What's happening?" Then all of a sudden the whirlpool started to flake, but instead of disintegrating, it got stronger. The whirlpool rapidly split into halves, creating two wind tunnels each twirling in an opposite direction. "Naoe! Your hand is slipping!" Centimeter by centimeter, their hands were slipping apart and the image of Naoe started to transpose. 'He's disappearing!' Takaya thought on reflex.

"Lord Kagetora!" Naoe shouted; his lord was also fading from his sight.

Both men tried to hold on as tight as they could, but the currents were too strong. The two whirlpools' shapes resembled a diamond that was cut into halves with each man at the opening trying to connect it back together.

"Naoe!"

"Let go!"

"No!"

"The whirlpool is too strong! Let go of my hand! I can't hold on any longer…" Naoe's body and strength were exhausted when he was helping Takaya. He had been pushing himself to hold on, but it seemed that he had reached his limit and his body was no longer willing to do want he wanted it to do. "The soul retrieval spell had wasted my energy just by entering your conscious and I'd been here longer than I was supposed to. It was wishful thinking that I would be able to leave here with you. The spell is taking effect, I could hardly feel my body; it's numbed from my toes and it's spreading quickly to my arms and chest. I'm afraid that I won't be able to make it."

"No! We're going back together!" Hold on to me!" Takaya pulled his other arms against the twirling wind and grabbed Naoe's slippery arms with both hands. A foreign feeling filled his heart as he squeezed Naoe's wrist. "I'm not leaving you here! What the hell am I suppose to do when you're gone? If you planned to leave me from the beginning, then why the hell did you come to rescue me? What the fuck were you thinking?"

"I'm sorry…"

"No! Naoe! Naoeee!" Takaya called out to Naoe as the man disappeared from his very eyes and drops of glister escaped from his narrowed jewel of browns.

(Flashback Ends)

"I was holding onto him. I'm pretty sure that I still had his hands when he disappeared," Takaya spoke to his pillow, "but why did I… was I crying…?"

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**End of Chapter **

Smile: It took me a while, sorry… and I apologize for the short chapter too. I'll try to write more next time. I've just got a new job and it's been hectic trying to balance my work and family, so writing got dropped lower on my priority list.

Anyways, thanks for being so patient with me and I hope to write more as time permits it.

To be continued…


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 **

A week later, Lord Kojiro came looking for the Uesugi Yasha and gather them together in the main hall. Lord Masamune greeted them as they entered and waited for them to be seated. They settled down in a semi-circle with Naoe furthest to the left, followed by Chiaki, Haruie and Takaya at the end. On the other side sat Lord Masamune and his brother facing directly at Chiaki and Haruie.

"We've located Oda," The Lord of Date announced and the news surprised everyone, creating a moment of silence.

"Where's the bastard?!" Chiaki broke the frozen atmosphere.

"It seems that he's in Matsumoto."

"What?" Takaya raised his concern in a moment of notice.

"We don't know the reason why he chooses to go back there, but the troops that we spread out have seen Yuzuru in that area. He appears to be living his normal live, going to school and hanging out with his friends."

"That's just buzzard! How could that be? I mean… wasn't he abducted?" Chiaki asked; he was shocked to learn that Yuzuru had returned to his normal life style and not just him everyone else felt disturbed.

"That's impossible!" Takaya exclaimed. "The last time I saw him, he didn't remember any of us and there was no mistaking that the evil seed was implanted in him."

"Yes, I've found it odd too," Lord Masamune replied, "and there is something else that Kojiro has mentioned that I think is most interesting."

"That's right!" Lord Kojiro was reminded, "Our men have reported that there is a transferred student in Yuzuru's class. Apparently this student and Yuzuru have gotten very close and they always appear together."

"Yuzuru is always kind and considerate, so it wouldn't be strange for him to be friendly with a new student," said Takaya.

"I understand, but we have to consider the fact that he's not the Yuzuru that we once knew. We haven't seen him for a while and the seed of evil king is still within his body. We can only conclude that he is still under Oda's control. We don't know what Oda is up to and why he let Yuzuru out in the open like this, but there is no doubt that Oda is scheming something up in his sleeves." Lord Kojiro replied.

"That's right! There is no way in hell that Oda would let Yuzuru go after trying so hard to capture him." Chiaki said.

"Lord Kojiro, can you give me a description of this student." Naoe asked calmly.

"Oh yes, I mean to ask Lord Kagetora about this earlier. I have my doubts, but I'm pretty sure that my instinct is correct. I think this transferred student; this boy is no other than Oda Nobunaga himself." Lord Kojiro replied and everyone's eyes were fixing on him as he said the Demon King's name. "The last time in Tokyo, I only had a glimpse at him, but from the description that we gathered, I'm pretty sure it's him."

Takaya quickly recalled the image of Oda, "Long black hair and golden eyes?"

"Exactly!" Lord Kojiro replied. "He's a teenage boy with long black hair and eyes of bright yellow. I'm certain that I saw a lock of black hair back in Tokyo, so it couldn't be a coincident. No two boys would wear the same hair style and have the same color eyes. He has to be Oda."

"And it isn't just Oda that we're up against. We shouldn't forget about his two vassals." Lord Masamune added.

"Ranmaru," Haruie named one.

"And Kousaka," Chiaki named the other one.

"We need to be careful around those three, Oda, Ranmaru and Kousaka. They're all skilled and vile. This all seem too easy. It could be a trap and their fishing us in." Naoe said.

"I agree that it could be a trap, but it is also the best opportunity that we have at this moment. We need to act quickly before he disappears again." Lord Masamune stated the obvious.

"I don't care if there is a trap or no trap! We've been wasting too much time and the longer we wait the more dangerous the situation is for Yuzuru." Takaya growled.

"That is why I've gathered us together to discuss this matter. Oda will not go down easy; we need a plan," said Lord Masamune in a calmly gesture as always.

Takaya tuned down and took a breath, "Well then what do you suggest that we do? The last time Naoe and I fought him, he used Yuzuru against us and there was no room for us to attack him without harming Yuzuru."

"Lord Kagetora?" Naoe called to his lord who was sitting across from him.

Takaya turned his head in response to Naoe's summon as he caught the older man's gaze for the first time in a week. A sudden rush ran through his body as he held onto his breath and looked a bit flustered as the man in front of him glared straight into his eyes.

Without breaking eye contact, Naoe carried on, "Your memories… I understand that you've regained them."

Releasing the breath that he was holding, Takaya quickly made contact with everyone else in the room as he replied weakly, "Yeah."

"Then what about your incantations, do you remember how to cast them?"

"That's right, I've forgotten about that! The spell that you couldn't control before, the chi separator spell is equivalent or could be greater than Oda's soul ripping attack. We could use that against Oda." Haruie cut in.

"Like Haruie has said the chi separator spell is similar to the soul ripping attack; they can both destroy a soul from a body, yet the stronger the soul is, the more effort is needed while casting the spell. The chi separator can be use on Oda, but at the same time he could use his soul ripping attack against us. If they both maintain a same level of power, it would put Lord Kagetora in a disadvantage if he were to be attack from behind. We should think this through carefully before we decide how to use this spell effectively, remember there are two ways to use this spell. There is the offensives way where one's energy is focus on its target and exorcise the target's soul immediately. On the other hand, there is also a defensive way of using the spell where one's power is focus in protecting its host body and execute invaders as they approach a dangerous distance. Either way, the spell requires much concentration and a will to control it. Lord Kagetora, do you think that you can handle this power?" Lord Masamune asked.

"I… I don't know…" Takaya murmured as he remembered the last time the spell was cast. "The last time, I couldn't control it. I had no idea that this power existed. It took over my body and I had no control over it."

"If you were able to call it out even when you're not aware of it, then it is possible that your instinct took over and reacted on its own. You may possess an even greater power than I. Why not you and I meet afterward and I'll help you understand how to control your gifted power."

"Sure…"

"I don't mean to interrupted, but aren't we're getting ahead of ourselves?" Chiaki questioned and the attention of the room focused on him. "Although Oda is our main target, but aren't we forgetting about our main objective? We need to get Yuzuru away from Oda. Getting rid of Oda is everyone's wishes, but be serious, do you think that we could save Yuzuru and kill Oda at the same time?"

"Chiaki is right." Lord Kojiro agreed. "We need to get Yuzuru back safely, and then we could concentrate our forces against Oda. Without Yuzuru, whatever Oda's planning for the Six Realms will not happen."

"The Six Realms? What exactly is it?" Takaya asked.

"Lord Kagetora, do you not remember this?" Haruie counter asked her lord.

"You see… not all my memories are back yet." He replied as his dark marbles found them catching Naoe's gaze once again.

"My Lord, let me explain…," Naoe conveyed in his deep, yet calm voice like always, "The Six Realms is also referred to the Realms of Six Beings. Within the beliefs of Buddhist; they believe that all living beings are trapped in a cycle of life and death until they are enlightened and that's when and only when they can break free of this cycle. This cycle is also known as the Realms of Six Beings. The number "Six" represents the six different classes that are defined by Buddhist. From highest to lowest, we have Ten Dou, Nin Dou, Ashura Dou, Chikushou Dou, Gabi Dou and Jigoku Dou. Ten Dou is the path of Heaven; this is the highest realm where celestial beings such as gods and goddesses reside. Nin Dou is the path of man; this refers to human beings. Ashura Dou is the path of Ashura; this realm consists of semi-god beings; they hold power like god, yet they don't meet the prestige requirement to reside in Ten Dou or Nin Dou. Chikushou Dou is the path of beast where animal and creature take their forms. Gaki Dou is the path of ghosts where restless souls and vengeful sprits reside. Then finally we have the lowest realm, Jigoku Dou, the path of Hell, the cruelest and most profound of them all. Every life according to Buddhist is born into one of these realms and they can ascend or descend from one realm to another, but never to exist in more than one realm at a time. For instant, a man is born in Nin Dou (the path of man) and depending on the good and evil that one does in his life time, he could ascend or descend to any of the five remaining realms."

"Ok… I think I get it but, what does this have to do with Yuzuru?"

"Yuzuru is the key to the Six Beings." Lord Masamune replied.

"What does that mean? If I recall it correctly, Oda said something along that line and that Yuzuru is the key to this universe." Takaya still baffled as he shifted his questions to Lord Masamune.

"To put it bluntly, Yuzuru could open any door to Six Realms. He is different. He has the power to cross multi dimensions. If his power is awaken he can easily penetrate the cycle of life and death and disturb the balance of the Six Realms. As we understand, no one, not even God could walk more than one realm at a time, but it's different with Yuzuru; he could enter all six of them. With such power, Yuzuru is a threat to the Six Realms. He could bring confusion to the cycle and create unlimited chaos."

"Why Yuzuru? I mean, I get what you're trying to tell me, but why is he different? If everyone according the cycle is supposed to walk only in one realm at a time, then why is he able to cross all six?"

"He's one of the enlightened."

"What?"

"He is not bound to the cycle. He has surpassed the cycle and can easily go in and out of it."

"This still doesn't make any sense, if he surpasses the cycle then why is he walking the path of man."

"Like I've said, he can transcend to any class and any dimension at any time. Why he chooses to reside in Nin Dou is out of my knowledge."

"Enough said, so do we agree that saving Yuzuru is our first priority?" Chiaki wanted to remind them of their main objective and everyone turned to him, all in agreement.

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"Lord Masamune, may I come in? It's me, Takaya." Takaya came to see Lord Masamune as they agreed earlier this morning.

"Come in." A voice replied from the other side of the door.

Takaya slid the door open as he gazed into Lord Masamune's room. It was the first time he entered the Lord of Date's chamber. It was a huge room; double the size of the one he occupied and everything was neat and sparkling clean.

"Take a seat." Takaya pulled out a chair and settled down as Lord Masamune paced forward the table and sat down facing the younger man. "Are you comfortable with what we've decided to do?" The older man asked.

"If it to save Yuzuru, I'll do anything. After all, I owe him one; he saved my life recently."

"What do you mean?"

"Back when I was unconscious, Yuzuru appeared out of nowhere to help Naoe and I escaped that darkness and after hearing you described him as being special, I'm certain that it was him and not just an illusion."

"That means that Yuzuru is not fully controlled by Oda. We still have time to save him."

"That's good."

"Yes, but we don't know how long Yuzuru would be able to withhold it. He may be extraordinary, but even the strongest of soldiers could become weak."

"So, in another words, we must rescue him no matter what."

"Yes."

Takaya sighed, "Okay, then let cut to the chase. I want to know about my chi separator spell. How do I control it?"

"This is a special skill that only you can will it."

"Wait a minute; I thought you've said that you can help me."

"What I want to know is why were you able to call it out, when you haven't had the slightest idea that it existed."

"…" Takaya instantly felt uneasy, crossing his hand underneath the table while his thumbs rotated around each other. 'Should I tell him what happened?' he asked himself. After a minute of silence, he decided to talk, "I don't know exactly how it happened. It just did."

"Did anything happen in that particular moment?"

"I was… scared and confused. I didn't know how to respond to my emotions and got overwhelmed, then it happened, the spell exploded and paralyzed Naoe."

"I see… you must be very frightened at that moment and somehow it triggered the spell to protect you."

"But why would it attack Naoe?"

"Since you didn't have control over the spell, it acted on its own and attacked anyone in sight, friend or foe."

"How can I control it from now on? I understand that you have a similar power as mine."

"Like Oda with his soul ripper and you with your chi separator, I too have a power that is as equivalent."

"Then how do you will that power?"

"Believe in myself."

"What!"

"There is no technique that I can transfer. All you need to do is to believe in yourself and will your power so that you can protect the ones that are most important to you. The will to protect is as strong, no, even stronger than the heat off killing off your enemy."

"That's it?" Takaya questioned as he thought what a waste of time it was to discuss such cliché beliefs. "If that's all you wanted to say to me, then I'll be going now. Thank you."

"No, there is something else I must tell you." Lord Masamune fixed his eyes seriously as he watched the Takaya's brows furrowed.

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After meeting with Lord Masamune, Takaya locked himself in his room for the rest of the afternoon. The Lord of Date had suggested that he bring peace to his heart before going into another battle. Like he didn't already know that! Naoe… It wasn't like he didn't have enough turbulence with the older man because of him he couldn't stay on a straight path and because of him he couldn't see through the clouds. He agreed that Lord Masamune had a point because at this rate he wouldn't be able to function. The more time he waste and tried to avoid the situation the more stubborn he would become and the broiled blood inside him will not be able to cool down. At this moment there were more important issues that required his attention, but no matter how much he wanted to focus on these issues, his mind was still cluttered and Naoe always ended up to be the first and last thing that popped into his little brain.

This was too frustrating! Takaya knew what he needed to do and he also knew that he had to confront his feelings sooner or later, but was it the right time to do it. "Fuck, what am I thinking?" He growled; he was trying to make excuses again. How cowardly was he trying to resort from approaching the man to running away from the problem?

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"Takaya, are you awake?" Chiaki called to the door. "Takaya!" Apparently, Takaya had fallen asleep and didn't hear his name being called. "Takaya!" Chiaki called again.

"Hgh…," Takaya groaned as he recognized the voice from the other side. "What do you want?" He grunted at the door.

"Jeesh, dude! I'm just here to see how you're doing and this is the attitude I get?"

Takaya sighed heavily; taking a deep breath as he slowly opened the door to his room.

Chiaki stared at the sleepy face and quickly welcomed himself inside the room. "Lord Kojiro, Haruie and I are ready to leave tonight. We'll meet up with you and Naoe as planned."

"I already know that, so if you don't have anything else to say then leave." Takaya replied, still standing beside the opened door.

"Ouch! That's cold."

"What do you want?"

"Oh, nothing…" Chiaki replied in a suspicious tone of voice as he circled around the room.

"I'm warning you, I'm not in a good mood so bark up and go!"

"Temper, temper! What a temper you've got there, Takaya? Are you mad at me for interrupting your beauty sleep or at something else? No, it's more like someone else you can't get off your mind?" The taller boy teased, standing only a foot away from agitated boy.

"You!" Takaya raised his fist, yet Chiaki had anticipated the punch and ducked it in time.

"Ha, so I'm right then."

"Shut up! I don't want to hear from you."

"Like I care… I'm just here to make sure that you don't screw up. Seriously…," Chiaki rested his hand on Takaya's shoulder and spoke in a stern tone of voice, "do whatever you need to do. The next time we meet again, I need you to concentrate on our objectives and don't bring any trouble into the battlefields; it will endanger us all." As if Takaya hadn't felt pressured enough; he knew what he must do, but it was easier said than done. With troubled eyes, he gazed at the taller boy. Chiaki recognized that look, grasping the situation he heaved a sigh and withdrew his hand. As he took his leave and crossed the door's frame, he spoke to the still air, "Forget what I've just said. Who knows what might happen next. We can plan as much as we want, but the outcome is still unpredictable. Just do whatever feels right, you got me?"

Takaya watched Chiaki disappeared into a distance and quickly he shut the door and groaned angrily, "I've had it! It's now or never!" Just when he was about to re-open his door, more knocking sounds came from it. "What is it this time?" He opened it hastily to find someone he didn't expect, "Haruie?"

"What's wrong? Is it not a good time to talk?"

"Sorry, I'd thought you were Chiaki."

"What part of me looks like Chiaki?" She raised her voice a bit.

"No, he was just here earlier, so I thought he'd returned to give me some more craps."

"He may not have the best way to show it, but he's worried about you."

"Yeah, I know…," Takaya replied quite pleasantly; he knew that Chiaki wasn't as bad a person as his foul mouth, yet there was something about him that always ticked Takaya off. He never seemed to be able to control his temper around that guy. "Am I really that easily read? Am I so useless that one after another has to come and give me advice? I appreciate it, but it's kind of annoying. I mean, give me a break! Don't you think that I can handle myself?"

"If you could then you wouldn't be standing here would you?"

Caught off-guard by Haruie's question, Takaya couldn't answer her.

"Anyways, I just wanted to say something before I leave for Matsumoto."

"What is it? Does it have anything to do with me?"

She smiled, "Course, it does! I just want to let you know that I've been watching you and Naoe for the past 400 years and it would be nice to see a happy ending."

Takaya suddenly blushed as he stuttered, "Wha… what…that suppose to mean?"

"You've changed, Kagetora. I don't know if you've noticed it, but there is definitely something different about you. Life after life, we have been incarnated and every life we share the same fate, carrying out the same mission as the Uesugi Yasha. We have live for so long and yet it is so sad to see you and Naoe segregated by a thin wall. You guys are like… old mules, too proud and stubborn for your own goods!"

"That's just the way I'm built and why should I give a damn to what Naoe does?"

"See what I mean? The old you would just give me cold eyes and ignore my comments."

"But I don't feel any different. I'm just… me."

"When you say 'me', do you mean Kagetora or Takaya?"

"…" Somehow he couldn't answer that question either.

"Here is my thought on this situation. I'm thinking it's because of your sealing off your memories that have made you more considerate. You'd become more aware of your feelings because you had to revisit them and reevaluate them. Before this, you live on and on carrying out your duties as the Lord of the Netherworld Uesugi Army, yet at the same time, you also carry a deep grudge and you couldn't let go. In many ways, I think that this has worked out for the best. What do you think?"

"I… It's like I know that I'm Kagetora, but at the same time I am Takaya. When I was Kagetora all I'd ever wanted was to put an end to my suffocation. I didn't want to remember the Uesugi, the Hojo and the desires and hatred I had toward Naoe that taunted me every night. Yet, when I was Takaya, I'd become weary and afraid of my other self because of a past that I didn't know. I was afraid of Kagetora and afraid that I wouldn't measure up to him. Funny, I guess somehow I was jealous of him and now that I've accepted him, I don't feel much different. This is… me. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah…" she agreed pleasingly, "I understand. You are you and that's all it matters. You'll be fine just like this."

"Thanks," he returned a smile and his fingers combed into his hair showing off a hopeful look.

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Takaya had come a long way to accept himself: he who had a past and he who had to relive it to realize that such an exotic lifetime would never had happened if he wasn't who he was. Yet to truly accept himself and to satisfy to his heart's content, he would need to confront one more obstacle and that obstacle was no other than the man he trended over a 400 years long period.

"Kagetora!" Naoe rushed to open his door as he recognized the shadow of his lordship. He could never mistaken Kagetora for anything and yet surprising he stared that the boy standing right in front of him. Since his recovery last week, Kagetora decided to switch room where he used to be next door, now he was a corridor away in the other corner of the mansion. Although, Naoe preferred to have Kagetora nearby, yet he respected his lord's decision and wanted to give Kagetora some room to think.

Silence.

Neither Naoe nor Takaya said a word and yet they both knew that this was the moment they'd been waiting for.

"…" Takaya parted his lips.

"Would you like to come in? It's getting cold out here." Naoe suggested as he went to light up his room.

"No, don't…," said Takaya as he entered the room and shut the door behind him, "I like it dark… it's easier to talk this way."

Naoe complied and in the dark, he walked back to his lord without a second of hesitation he embraced the boy. Immediately he took a deep breath; it was a sign of relief. "Do you know how contented I am right now?" He asked in his deep yet smooth voice.

Takaya shut his eyes tightly as he tried to resist the vibrating sound traveling to his ear. His heart was pounding. He could feel it racing making it hard for him to breathe.

"Are you giving into me? If you continue to stay quiet, then I will take this as a sign of invitation." Naoe continued to speak calmly with his arms wrapping around Takaya's body and his hands squeezing the boy's arms. "I don't know how much longer I can hold myself. Can you feel it in my breath? It's hot…" Naoe whispered as planted a kiss at the nape of Takaya's neck.

Gasping a breath from the surprise touch, "Don't…" Takaya squirmed away and dismounted himself from Naoe's touch all together. Turning around he could see Naoe's eyes glaring at him.

"I've been restraining myself…," Naoe reached out to brace the Takaya's face. With the window in his room slightly opened, there was enough moonlight that seeped in allowing him to see his lord's uneasy expression.

'Say something, God damn it!' Takaya hollered in his mind, but his lips and tongue weren't able to reciprocate to his order. His eyes were caught by Naoe's, like magic he was cast frozen and he didn't remember how he got to be in this situation or why he was in Naoe's room.

"Can I kiss you?" Takaya's eyes shot wide open on reflex, but he didn't say a word or move an inch. Naoe moved in slowly, holding onto his lord's chin as he stared straight into his prey's eyes. 'Closer… closer… just a little bit more,' he told himself and their lips touched.

"Hmm…," Takaya let out a soft moan from just a rub of skin.

Naoe quickly pulled away, it all seemed too easy, but as he withdrew Takaya's fluttered condition aroused the hungry man. "Kagetora!" He was losing his balance; gravity pulled the Takaya down to his knees as Naoe followed him, "Damn! It's not enough…!" Gritting his teeth for a quick second or two Naoe grabbed hold of Takaya's head, supporting it from behind with his large hand. Looking at Takaya's unstable condition, Naoe couldn't retain himself; soon kisses were planted on the younger boy's head, moving down to his forehead, eyes, nose and lips.

"Na…," cut off by a kiss, "Naoe…" Takaya found himself drowned under Naoe's kisses. He could no longer make any speech. His voice was cut off by the sounds of his cry and the touch of Naoe's lips mounting on his skin. 'What am I doing? Have I succumbed to him that easily?' His mind flashed questions into this head, but at the same time it was too involved in the situation to make sense of anything.

"Forgive me… I can't… s…" Naoe murmured in his kiss, licking and sucking onto his lord's wet tongue. Withdrawing his own to catch a breath, a wet trail of saliva followed him out from Takaya's mouth.

"If you can't… then don't… don't stop…" Communication finally started; Takaya could hear his voice again. The yearning inside of him had become unbearable; the influence of the moment had made him desperate, "I want you...," he murmured, "now… before I change my mind."

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: Yay! An update from me, but am I wicked or what? A cliffhanger…and just when it was getting good too! Hmph, I always get stuck when it comes to…you know…that. Well, I guess you could foresee what's happening in the next chapter.


	19. Chapter 19

Be warned… this chapter starts with a lemon.

**Chapter 19 **

Lying on the floor, Takaya didn't notice the cold texture beneath him. Hiding from embarrassment, he shut his eyes as Naoe kissed him. Warm kisses were planted on the side of his neck; nibbling sounds continued and grew eagerly as Naoe found the collar of his shirt. Buttons went loose exposing his upper body. The touch of Naoe's hands quickly rubbed his torso, fingertips started to tease the erected bud above his heart while the other one being caressed by Naoe's soft tongue. "Ah…," he moaned and quivered in sensation. 'His mouth… so hot…,' that was the only thing he that could think of as Naoe licked him and teased him with his wet touch.

Getting ahead of himself, Naoe was pleased to find his lord responding to his touch. Lifting his head up, he wanted to see more and hear more of Takaya's body crying for his attention. Gliding his hand down from the boy's torso to his abdomen area, he could feel the tight muscles as he moved lower, past the waist line. Contented, he found his lover aroused member.

"No, not there…," Takaya cried.

Naoe ignored the cry as he slid his hand underneath the garment and softly rubbed his fingers along the thick member. "Let me see your face," he said gently, "I want to see your eyes. Look at me when I'm making love to you. I want you to remember me and only me. Look at me…" He said as he took the hard member into his hand.

"Can't… don't…," Takaya didn't want to open his eyes, but at the same time he could hardly contain himself.

Naoe was a bit disappointed, but he didn't get discourage. His fingers found themselves wrapped around the tip of his lover's hard on. Teasing the stem with light strokes, he observed how his lover tried to hide his pain underneath those closed eyes. "Let me see your eyes. I want to see them," he demanded and movement stopped for a moment with the throbbing member still in the grasp of his large hand.

"Mm…," slowly Takaya opened them, hesitantly his lashes blinked open and close as he tried not to look too fluttered.

"That's right," Naoe could see right through the boy; the mixed feelings seeping from those dark eyes. At this moment, he could read Takaya's indecisiveness as well as his pleading to be comforted. It was an obvious sign of invitation. He was wanted and there was no better feeling than being wanted. Grasping that knowledge, Naoe lowered his head down as he studied his lover expression in a closer distance. Now they were only inches apart and Naoe found a charming sight. "You're blushing," he said smiling.

"…" Takaya couldn't say a word. He was too embarrassed to open his mouth. Just the thought of lying naked underneath Naoe had gotten him even redder. The man above him was too much, hanging all over him with his tie loose and his blouse hanging out. How could anyone be so sexy? He wanted to scream, but he couldn't; his hard-on was too painful and if he had a mirror in front of him right now, he knew exactly how he would look, lustful. This wasn't the first time they had been together like this. In the past, they'd been involved many times, but this time, it felt as if they were being together for the first time or maybe it was because of this body. This would be the first time he would be doing it with this body. It could also be the first time that he realized how much he wanted to be with Naoe.

Knowing that his young lover was uncomfortable, Naoe connected their lips before anything else could happen. "Mmm," he moaned; the touch of Takaya's lips was so soft and more. Rubbing his tongue against the crease of his lover's lips, he was asking for entrance, but instead, he found his lover's strong thrust delving into his mouth. Oh, god! He could not believe it. It felt so good! Takaya took initiative. The boy was in heat, kissing him so hungrily as if he didn't have enough.

Passion took over and as they kissed their bodies demanded for more. Tension, heat, and a world of uncertainty; clouded mind, even the most intelligence couldn't withhold the simulation of the moment. Time can be a virtue, but immortality can bring suffering to the mind and heart. Living for so many years, emotions came and went. One would expect that a soul would become untouched, unmoved by all the events that had taken place, but human were still human, soul that wouldn't let go and buried deep within them were pools of flames and desires that were never fulfilled, therefore when unleash, they went wild. Barricades, doubts and worried were all vanished; nothing existed, but the yearning that had been compressed over time cried out for attention.

Pulling away for a quick breath, Naoe didn't let any moment wasted; he had waited so long for this day, this moment, and this second. He had finally had his lord wrapped securely under his wings. Craving for more, he quickly slithered down, his hands undid Takaya's zipper and eyes gazed happily at the aroused member. He tasted it.

"Hmm…," Takaya whimpered at the touch.

Naoe continued to taste the boy, lavishing, moisturizing the stem with his hunger. The tips of his tongue explored the firmness of Takaya's intimate feature. Drooling on the engorged member with each kiss and each lick up and down, he could feel how hard the member had gotten inside his mouth. It tasted so good and he was enjoying openly, with no guard, no barrier, and no suspicion. It was it. Moving his wet tongue lower, past the base, he found and sucked the pouch of loose skin beneath the staff. The scrotum was soft, so soft, but it tensed up once he played with it, taking one ball at a time into his mouth while his hand worked on the stem above the sack.

Takaya felt weird as Naoe kissed his intimate area, yet the weirder the feelings were the more he moaned. It wasn't just his member that wanted to cum; his mind also wanted to burst. Hot sweats broke as he tried to withhold the foreign feeling, but with each kiss, he found himself closer to climax. He couldn't hold back much longer. His hips bucked.

"Not yet…," Naoe peaked up and found Takaya wavering in heat; he knew that his lover couldn't hold in much longer. "I want to taste you, every part of you," and with that said in a lustful gesture, he licked the tip of the exquisite entrée. It was superb, a delicate taste of sweetness mixed with sweat and a pinch of bitterness.

"No! Stop!" Takaya cried, but Naoe had already taken him raw, swallowing his dick. He couldn't believe it, just by looking at how Naoe used his mouth; the same mouth that kissed his lips earlier was now pleasuring his private. 'He's hot, so hot!' That was all Takaya could think of. The movement of Naoe's gorgeous, thin and large mouth, slipping up and down his thick flesh delivered a burning pain. With each stoke, the pain became unbearable. "Naoe, I… nghnn…," he came and Naoe didn't stop. He licked every last dropped of expense that Takaya had to offer. Releasing the softened member, Naoe took one last taste of the semen around his lips, "It's sweet."

"How could you…?" Takaya couldn't believe that Naoe had swallowed everything. Feeling ashamed he couldn't looked him anymore.

"There is no time to be embarrassed. I'm not done with you yet." Naoe informed the boy.

"Wha…?" Cut off by Naoe's kiss, Takaya melted into another battle. Pulling away from Takaya's lips, Naoe took the boy's hand and rested it above his throbbing member. On impulse, Takaya tried to pull his hand away, but Naoe's strength overcame his and kept his hand there as Naoe stared into his eyes.

"It's too late…," Naoe said bluntly as rubbed himself with his lover's hand and Takaya wanted to explode as he felt how hard Naoe was.

"Hah…," Naoe groaned deeply, "I can't hold it anymore."

"Put me down! What are you doing?"

Naoe carried the half naked boy to his bed. As he lay Takaya down, he made sure that the boy understood what was going on. "I'm gonna make you mine," he said softly as he caressed Takaya's baffled face.

Takaya knew exactly what was going to happen next, 'What should I do?' Suddenly, he felt afraid of foretelling what the outcome might be. "Naoe, I…"

"Shh…," He quieted the boy, "You'll be mine tonight…at last…," and kissed him.

Before Takaya could say another word, he had fallen into another breathtaking tongue war. In the middle of the kiss, he felt large hands around his shoulders. They slowly glided down his arms and traveled to his hands and fingers. Once they reached the tips of his fingers, Naoe locked them together. Five fingers for five and they made ten on both sides, Naoe secured them tightly against the mattress and broke away from the kiss. Takaya was panting, his lips were wet, his mind was clouded, and the heat didn't subside when Naoe broke away. It intensified as his body responded to every little touch made by the good looking man above him.

Naoe began to undress himself.

'…!' Takaya stared at the large built; the Naoe with cloths had already driven him mad, but the Naoe without cloths…? No, he couldn't imagine anymore!

As Naoe unsheathed himself from his cloth, he observed Takaya's expression. The boy looked so cute as he stared at how Naoe undid his buttons and slipped off his shirt. Same went for the pants, yet Takaya's eyes grew wider when he had a closer look at what came with the package below. Naoe also captured something exotic and quite simulating in return. Slowly he crawled over Takaya's body, body to body, eye to eye; he looked straight into those dark jewels and whispered, "It looks like you're ready again."

Takaya didn't response; just the sight of Naoe's cock aroused his. How could he hide it? It was obvious. Naoe just grinned happily in response as he grabbed his erection and his lover's and rubbed them together. "Hah!" Takaya groaned and so did Naoe. The flesh of their organs touching each other as Naoe moved up and down their two cocks felt so good. Takaya bucked his butt and lifted his hips to allow more movement.

"It's not enough…," Naoe pulled his hand away, now both of his hands were supporting his weight, each one rested above Takaya's shoulders. He planted a quick kiss on Takaya's lips and whispered gently, "kiss me… here." He lowered his buttock and rubbed his throbbing erection against his lover's once more. "I want to feel your lips here."

Shocked, Takaya shuttered, trying to find the right word, "I… I don't know if I'm any good."

"Turn around," Naoe whispered as he switched position and lay down. "Spread your legs out and face the other way."

Before Takaya knew what he was doing, he was on his hands and knees, with his mouth positioned over Naoe's erection and his rears staring at Naoe's in the face. He gulped and swallowed a breath before he closed his eyes and held onto the base of Naoe's swollen member. Trembling hands held the hard erection as he lowered his head and tasted another man's organ.

"Agh!" A deep groan gritted from the throat of the lustful man. The soft touch of his lover's lips and the wetness rolling along his stem was amazing. How long have he been waiting for his moment? Too long!

Takaya carried on sucking Naoe gradually. Naoe on the other hand had found his lover's entrance. Licking the ass above him and probing the hole with his tongue, he had given it enough moist for his finger to penetrate. "AHH!" Takaya cried, lifting his head away from whatever he was doing. "What are you doing?"

"I want to become one with you."

"No, take it out!" Takaya broke away.

"Don't worry;" sitting up, Naoe approached the nervous boy who was backing away against the headboard, "I'll make sure to get you ready."

"But…it's…," he gazed at the big member, "it's not going to fit."

The older man chuckled softly, amused of what he'd heard, "Trust me…, you'll be surprised how well it fit."

"But…"

"Don't be afraid," Naoe quickly embraced the hesitant boy in another passionate kiss. The act of simply wanting to taste each other's lips instigated more needs and more desires. Naoe kissed his way down lover's chin, "I promise that you'll soon forget everything," he said as he pulled away to look at his partner's big dark eyes. "The pain," he planted a simple touch on Takaya's lip. "The embarrassment," he licked the pre-cum substances on tip of his lover's erection. "And any doubts that you may still have against me."

"Hah!" Takaya reacted from the touch, "Just… ah, damn! …do it!"

It had been a long time. Oh how Naoe had missed hearing his lord's demanding voice, commanding him, challenging him. He pulled Takaya down, laying the boy's on his back as he folded the long legs up, finding the creases between the thighs; he kissed the bikini line. Sweet, molten laughter were returned from his kisses. He continued to kiss and tease the sensitive area while his hand probed for the little hole beneath. More intriguing sounds were made when his fingers found themselves swallowed into the young body.

"Ow! Naoe!" the boy hissed from the intrusion. His butt squeezed.

"Relax and feel me," Naoe said as the licked and rolled his tongue around the side of Takaya's long member.

"Nghnn…," the boy mewled and loosened up muscles.

"I've found it," Naoe located the prostate with his index and middle fingers. "It's so warm in there. Does it feel good?" He rubbed his slender fingers against the glands and the wall around his fingers. "You're discharging a lot… see now three have gone in."

Takaya peaked down, yet he was too consumed to count how many digits had entered his body.

"I can't hold myself any longer." Naoe withdrew his lips from the healthy stem as he ascended and quickly stole a kiss from his lover's lips. He spread the boy's leg wider and positioned his throbbing erection at the entrance. Pushing slowly, probing the door to heaven, he opened the door carefully.

"Ah!" Takaya cried. He could feel something big entering his body. The pain in his rear was awful, but his head was going crazy from an unknown heat which it delivered and caused him to quiver as Naoe pushed in deeper.

"Hah!" Naoe groaned, thrusting in harder as he penetrated through the final barrier. "It's in," he panted, "I'm inside of you."

Takaya could feel it deep; squeezing his ass he felt the thickness of Naoe filling him completely. It was strange, but it felt right. They belonged together just like this. Right now, between his legs displayed a gorgeous man, clenching his teeth so sexy with his eyes dreamingly looking at his lover as if he was everything. Captured by the moment, Takaya pulled the luscious man down and kissed him, "Do me…" he said breathlessly as their lips broke away, "…please."

A sea of pleasure was waiting for them.

"I love to," Naoe replied and thrust hard. Grapping onto Takaya's waist, Naoe lifted the boy's hips higher to give him more access. Thrusting in and out the tight hole, he was blinded in the excitement, "Lor… Kagetora," he called out.

"Ah!" With every strong thrust, Takaya cried and so did the bed beneath him, making creaking sounds. "Ah!" he moaned loudly, "Nn… there, ye… there! Harder!"

Reaching cloud nine, Naoe was about to come at any second now, "turn around," he said hopelessly as he kissed his lover's eyes. "Hah…, Naoe…," Takaya quavered a response in return, and Naoe helped the shaking boy up onto his hands and knees. Slipping his hard on back inside, "Nghnn!" they both groaned. As Naoe started to move again, Takaya gripped onto the sheets and Naoe grabbed his hips.

Taking the plunge from behind, it was hot. His face was flushed red and his body trembled and sweated. "Agh!" A deep groan seeped from the pit of Takaya's stomach. "Naoe! Ah! hah…," and more oozing sounds continuously mixed in along with Naoe's thrusts, diving in deeper every time. He could no longer uphold himself; he fell forward, his head on the bed, his arms crawled around his head, and his fingers still gripping tightly onto the bed sheet. "Naoe… uh…!" With his behind was being fucked, his front leaking, it was about to squirt.

"Oh gawd!" Naoe reached for his lover's trembling hands, "help me, I'm about to…," he placed them on the butt cheeks in front of him, "please…," he begged for his lover to spread it wider.

Ignoring right and wrong, Takaya agreed without a fuss, spreading his cheeks for his lover to delve in. Pleasure was clouding everything. Moral no longer exist. Nothing existed, but the wonders of flesh, warm, hot, and piercing sensation. An ecstasy of pain and pleasure was experienced by the one giving and the one receiving. "Na…! I… Nn…" Takaya cried, his hands could no longer hold up his ass and his body was slipping down.

"Don't hold back!" Naoe groaned as he pushed harder and faster, "Come with me, Kagetora." There and at the moment, Takaya felt the hardness of Naoe burning and becoming one with him.

"Ahhh!" They sang loudly.

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Ten minutes later, after both men had regained a normal heart beat…

"Get off me, you're heavy," Takaya grumbled. Naoe had collapsed right on top of him after they released.

"Your scene…, it's nice." Naoe whispered into lover's ear, "Stay here with me tonight."

"First, get off my back!"

Naoe lifted himself up and removed his member from inside Takaya.

"Ow!" Takaya hissed; it appeared that he was hurt during their exercise.

"Did I hurt you?" Naoe bent down to kiss the wound.

"Stupid!" Takaya turned around, "It's dirty. What are you thinking? Ow!" he hissed again and this time fluids came out from his body.

"You may be bleeding… let me help you clean that."

"No, I'm fine. I could do it myself."

After arguing with Naoe about his ass, Takaya ended up leaning against the wall while Naoe helped him cleaned up. He was so embarrass at that moment that he didn't say a word. After that, they ended up together in the bed.

"Are you sleeping?" Naoe asked, knowing that his partner wasn't able to rest in his arms.

Takaya shook his head, "no," he replied frankly. He couldn't believe what just happened. It was unexplainable; it felt unreal, but the fact of the matter, it did happen. It was real all right and for the first time, in a long time, he felt he was where he belonged. The marks on his skin were still fresh; it was proof that he belong here, but there were still many unanswered questions resided in his mind and he was sure that Naoe felt somewhat the same. Should he go ahead and raise the question? Or should he wait it out a bit longer?

"We should rest for tomorrow, but if you can't sleep, then, can I tell you a story? It could help you sleep."

"Mmm," he agreed.

"A long time ago, there was a young boy. He was born in the period of war to a family with many hardships. His parents were poor and not in good health. By the age of twelve, he had seen countless of people dying from hunger and sickness, and he knew that he would become one of these victims some day. Yet, he held strong in hoping that he could make a difference, but fate was cruel. His parent decided to sell him, not because they didn't love him, but because they loved him so much that they wanted their only son to live a healthy life, even if it meant to serve under someone else. The boy left with his new masters and his parents received a handsome trade. With that money, his parents could live in comfort, but as the town grew dreary and people became desperate. His parents were killed by robbers."

"It's sad, but that was common back then."

"Am I boring you?"

"No…, I don't mind." Takaya replied, resting his head comfortably against Naoe's chest. Just the sound of Naoe's voice was intriguing enough to listen to any story he had to tell.

"Instead of moaning for his parents' death the young boy grew stronger. He was determined to be strong, so that one day if he ever found someone that mean dearly to him, he could protect that person. His master, the man who bought him had never treated him like a servant, but more like a son. He was fortunate. His master educated him, taught him swordsmanship, strategy and even betrothed his only daughter to him. Shortly after he got married, he got a special assignment where he was to negotiate a treaty with one of the fiercest enemy. To prove himself, he walked into the Lion's den alone with no help and he didn't expect to get out of there alive. Yet, less did he knew, this day changed his life forever. In the depth of the Lion's den lived a courageous young lad who came out from nowhere to aid his escape. The lad at the time reminded him so much of himself, with eyes so determined; he couldn't help but lowered his guarded and befriended to the lad."

Takaya started to feel something suspicious about this story. It almost sounded like Naoe was talking about himself.

"After he escaped from the enemy's castle, another battle took place shortly after that. He wasn't able to get far away, so he ended up fighting the war. In the end, he was recognized for his skilled and was asked to serve a greater man. Five years later, he was well known, but fate came to taunt him. He met the little boy who had saved him that dreadful night. The boy grew up handsomely and from that day on he couldn't keep his eyes of the handsome lad. He grew attached and found himself yearning to be closer to this boy. Somehow, somewhere along the line of duties or maybe it was when they first met, he realized that he found the person he wanted to protect. He fell in love."

"If he loves this boy, then why did he turn his back when the boy needed him the most?" Takaya cut in, "Why did you left me when you know that you were all that I had? You were the only person I needed? If you love me so much, then why didn't you stay by my side?" For no reason, Takaya somehow blew off an engine.

Naoe held on tighter, afraid that his lover might just jump off and run away from him, "I'd already explained myself…, but if you insist, then I'll repeat myself over and over again until you have them memorized."

"No! You don't need to give me any of those craps again. I'd heard enough." Drawing a deep breath, Takaya sighed, "I don't want to sound like a woman or anything, but the next time you leave me, at least give me a more legitimate reason."

"There will never be a next time."

"Don't be too sure of yourself."

"I'm positive."

"Hmph!"

"Would a kiss help confirm it?"

"Damn it! Don't give me goose bumps!"

"Is there anything else that you want? Or maybe something else that you me to clarify?"

"I know that I shouldn't care too much of what happened in the past, because everything that happened is now history, but it still bothers me. There are so many of vague images…, I don't know where to start."

"Let's start where we first parted when I went to serve Lord Kagekatsu. During those two years it was unbearable, but I managed to pass the day by carrying out my duties diligently, knowing that it was for your best interest or that was what I thought at the time. After receiving the news that Lord Kenshin died, we returned to Echigo. With death bestowed on the Lord of Uesugi, the clan needed a new leader. Lord Kenshin left without a clear proclamation of who would be the next leader. Rumors started to build up and stir the tension between the two groups of followers. Rumors were the seed of chaos, you and Lord Kagekatsu started to believe in them and soon a civil war between the two of you began. Another year passed and still the fight between you and Lord Kagekatsu had gotten to nowhere."

"I didn't care much for the position, but the thought of you aiding Kagekatsu pissed me off. I fought just for pleasure of seeing you hesitate at battle."

"And you were successful at it. It tormented me to go against you, but I'd sworn my allegiance to Lord Kagekatsu and as his retainer, I couldn't back out, but to fought you bitterly."

"So, was that why you helped Kagekatsu to plot the scheme of Samegao Castle? You were loyal and desperate enough to sacrifice everything to help your master in achieving his ultimate goal."

"No, I was against that. I had no problem in a fair fight, but such trickery, I didn't complied."

"Then why did it ended up that way? Why?"

"It's all my fault, if I could've made it to you a second earlier…"

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_(Flashback) _

_"This war is getting no where! What's wrong with you Naoe? You're not fighting like you normally would. It's it because you're fighting Kagetora?" _

_"Lord Kagetora is very talented with his sword and his leadership skills are incomparable." _

_"How can you praise him like that? Remember at this moment, he's your enemy and I need you to put him down at all cost. I cannot allow an outsider like him to succeed our clan." _

_"What are you planning to do? It's not going to be easy." _

_Lord Kagekatsu smirked as he took a good look at Naoe, "I think I just got a perfect plan. A plan that only you can make it happens…" _

_Naoe stared at the young lord's expression and felt a disturbance in his heart, something terrible was about to take place. _

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_Later Naoe came to visit Lord Kagekatsu. With good intention, he wanted to prevent Lord Kagekatsu from doing something irrational. As he walked to his lord's chamber, he spotted a glimpse of someone he knew leaving his lord's room. Quickly, he chased after that person. " Toyama!" he called and the person stopped at that second, but then immediately fled the scene. _

_"That's Yasuhide Toyama. I'm sure of it. Why is he here?" Naoe walked, talking to himself as he headed back to Lord Kagekatsu's room. Standing in front of the door, he raised his hand and was about to knock the door, but it opened before his hand was able to make contact. _

_"Naoe! You're just the man that I was looking for." _

_"My Lord," Naoe bowed. _

_"Come in," The young Lord invited and Naoe entered the room. "There is something that I need you to do for me." _

_"I'll do anything for you, My Lord." _

_"Is that right?" Kagekatsu asked with a pitch of suspiciously in this voice. "You're a great man, Naoe. I know well what you are capable of, so don't try to fool me. You're a worthy man and you know that. There aren't many soldiers like you and Nagahide, therefore I value you and have chosen an easier path for you." _

_"What do you mean? Does this have anything to do with Toyama? I saw him left your room earlier." _

_"He's none of your concern." _

_"I disagree. If this has anything to do with our clan and our winning against Lord Kagetora, then as a clan member, I have the right to know what's going on. Please tell me. What is it that you're up to?" _

_"What is it that I'm up to?" he laughed, "Naoe, don't tell me a bright man like yourself don't know what I want. I have told you earlier that I need you to make my plans become reality. I want Kagetora put down and grovel before me before he dies. That bastard doesn't belong here and I'll make sure to put him back where he belongs." _

_"Lord Kagekatsu, but he's been a brother all these time." _

_"A brother only in name." _

_"But…!" _

_"That's quite enough!" Kagekatsu roared. "I will not allow this drivel to continue any longer." _

_"Forgive me…," Naoe lowered his head. _

_"And for your punishment, you are not to leave camp until we capture Kagetora." _

_"Are you saying that you don't need my help?" _

_"You will help me, just by staying behind. And furthermore, I've invited Lady Ai and son to come for a visit. I'm treating them as my special guests and you can visit them at anytime you desire." Lord Kagekatsu conveyed his point, knowing that Naoe would get his message. _

_Naoe was in total silence. Lord Kagekatsu had gotten him cornered, by inviting his family to camp; they had been taken in as hostages. This was Lord Kagekatsu's intention to keep him away from the battlefield or in other words away from Lord Kagetora. _

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_"Yasuhide Toyama! What's the meaning of this?" _

_"Lord Kagetora, please forgive." _

_"Now! Set it all on fire!" Lord Kagekatsu gave his order from the dirt of Otate where he stood. He took a good look at Samegao Castle before it went down. _

_"You traitor!" Kagetora roared. He tried to shake the door open, but he was in no condition to budge the door open. Even if he was in good health, he would probably decide to end it here. There was no point to continue the fight. He had been defeated a long time ago. He fell to the floor of the burning castle while his traitorous comrade made his escape. "Hahahaha!" he laughed, "I should have known that this is how my life was going to end." Feeling drowsy from the smoke, Kagetora support his weight with his sword on the tatami flooring as many thoughts flowed into his clouded minds. _

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo _

_Meanwhile, Naoe at camp fought his clansmen to make way to Samegao Castle. _

_"Nobutsuna-san!" Lady-Ai called to her husband as he shielded her with his body and carried their son on his back. "Please, stop this!" _

_"No! This is the only way!" _

_"Da-da… Wooow!" The child's voice sang as they struggled against hundreds of soldiers. _

_"No…please… Stop it! You're bleeding!" _

_"I can't…" Hurtful eyes stared at his wife, "…please understand." _

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_"Look at it burned. There is no way he can escape that. Even if he were in good health, he wouldn't be able the run away from those flames unharmed," said Lord Kagekatsu. _

_"My Lord!" A solder on horseback came rushing into the scene. He hopped and bowed down immediately as he reached his lord, "My Lord, as you have predicted Naoe is on this way here." _

_"Nagahide!" _

_"Yes, My Lord." _

_"Go and bring that desperate man here." _

_"…" Narrowed eyes stared at his young lord. _

_"The least I can do is let the man sees the remains of his beloved," he said with an evil look in eyes. _

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_"I'm sorry… I haven't been a worthy husband to you nor have I been a responsible father to our son." Naoe said breathlessly as he leaned against a tree trunk. They had managed to flee from the camp and no one seemed to be following them. _

_"Don't say that. You've given me more than you have to and I'm grateful for that." Lady Ai responded. "Let me bandage your wounds." She tore a piece of her dress to use as bandages. _

_"Hgh!" He groaned as she wrapped and put pressure against his leg. Since he couldn't use much of his arms, he used his body and legs to shield his family from being attached, in returned, most of his cuts were on his right leg. _

_"Why are you doing this? Aren't you supposed to be on Lord Kagekatsu's side?" Lady Ai asked, her voice trembling and tears mixed into the bandage as she looked up to her husband. "Is Lord Kagetora so important to you, that you… that you would risk everything, even your life for him?" _

_"Forgive me." _

_"Naoe!" She soared to her husband and embraced him. "I knew it. I knew it all these time, but I… I couldn't let you go. Even if I don't have your heart, I still have you by my side.." _

_"Ai-chan…, you are my wife. I love you." _

_"Even if it's just a lie, I'm still very happy," she smiled. _

_"Da-da!" The little boy took his tiny steps toward his parents. _

_"My son, Hiraku… Like the meaning of your name, stay strong and be the ray of light to lead you and your mom to a better life." Naoe held his son to his heart. _

_"Naoe!" Nagahide called out as he found his friend in the depth of the deserted woods. _

_"Nagahide, are you here to send me away?" Naoe asked. _

_"You idiot! What do you think you're doing?" Nagahide growled. "Can you still stand up?" _

_"Yeah, these injuries are nothing." Naoe replied. He looked up and without blinking, he observed his friend and comrade. "We've been friends for a long times haven't we?" _

_"You can say that." _

_"And of all these time, I don't think that I have ever asked you to do anything irrational." _

_"Where are you going with this?" _

_"Nagahide, I need you to do me a favor… one favor and that's all I shall ever ask of you from this lifetime." _

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_"Lord Kagetora!" Naoe yelled as he rode the back of Nagahide's horse. _

_"Nagahide, you made it back just in time." Kagekatsu smirked at the sizzling flame on Samegao Castle. _

_"No!" Naoe stared at the rising flames. The heat from just standing outside of the castle was intense, but without a second thought he marched forward with his injured leg. _

_"You fooled! It's too late!" Nagahide pulled him back. _

_"Let me go!" Naoe shrugged away, ignoring his friend's concern and ran into the burning castle. _

_"Naoe!" Nagahide called from behind. "You fool!" He sighed. _

_"Lord Kagetora! Lord Kagetora!" Naoe callout out for his lord as he searched the burning castle, at least of what was still remaining of it, room by room and floor by floor. Everything was burning and the flames were getting hotter. The castle was unstable; it wouldn't hold up much longer. He must find his lord quickly, even if it was just a corpse, he needed to see it. Yet he also remained hopeful, "Lord Kagetora! Please be alive…be strong…" _

_Meanwhile, Kagetora had lost all hope. "What am I doing? Waiting for death?" he mocked at himself. "I should have ended this the first time I die. The rain that night was cold, it could have frozen everything. At least back then I would still have a body. Now everything will be burned to ashes." Inhaling the toxin, he drew his sword and positioned it on his neck. As he pulled the sword, 'Naoe,' was the last thought he had before he ended his very life. _

_"Kagetora!" Naoe screamed, kicking the door open. The burned door easily fell to the floor. As the door disengaged; his grayish eyes caught something falling at the same instant. "Kagetora!" He ran to catch the body that was about to collapse to the floor. _

_'Ka…ge…to…ra…,' The dying man heard very faintly someone calling his name, but it was too late for him to recognize who was calling. His eyes averted from the world. _

_"No! NO! NOOOO!" Bitterly, Naoe held his lord's body in his arms. The lifeless body slept peacefully. "This is all my fault. I didn't mean for it to… AGHHHH!" He cried. He was tired. He didn't want to leave his lord and lover anymore. Sitting there calmly with his lover cradled in his arms, he set his lover's hair free and the long threads of hair spread out wildly. He combed his beloved's hair and wrapped his arms tightly around his lover's body as flames engulfed them and the last fragments of the castle collapsed on them. "Don't worry… I'll protect you. And if there is an afterlife, I will still protect you and the life after that and after that," he murmured his final words, "because you're the one." _

_Boom! The castle gave in. _

_"Naoe," Nagahide said as he saw the rubbish of a castle in front of his eyes. Flames continued to roar almost as if it was crying for the two people inside the castle. _

_"That Naoe! What a waste!" Lord Kagekatsu said, "I don't understand him." _

_"I don't either…" Nagahide complied as he thought, 'even so…, I shall keep my promise and keep your family in safe hands.' _

_(Flashback ends) _

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"Fate can be so cruel," Naoe said and Takaya didn't add any comment to it; he stayed silent, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.

Suddenly their bed shook!

"We're under attack! Everyone take cover!" Someone shouted from outside.

"What's happening?" Takaya got on his feet.

"I don't…" Naoe was on the same boat and before he was able to finish his reply, Takaya found their garments. Takaya handed Naoe his cloths and they quickly dressed.

"Let's go!" They both said and hurriedly stormed toward the sound of disruption.

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: It's been 6 months since my last update. I apologize for the long wait, but I bring good news this time. I almost have the complete story written out. I'll start posting one chapter at a time as soon as I have them edited by yours truly. I'm not a literature major, so please bear with my grammar. I'll try my best. See you later…


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

The two men rushed out into the active night. Confused by what was happening, they quickly observed their surrounding. A building on the west side of the mansion had started to come down. The dark sky was lit with orange stars and hot waves were spreading into new areas.

"Lord Kagetora! Naoe!"

"Lord Masamune!" The men responded as they hurriedly approached the other man on the other side, north of the mansion.

"Watch out behind you!"

Naoe immediately pushed Takaya forward in respond to Katakura's warning. The result of the impact forced them to the ground with Naoe on top of his young master.

"Like always, the servant shields his master from harm." A snickering voice said.

"Ranmaru," Naoe found the sneaky boy on the rooftop of the east wing.

"It's nice to see you again, Naoe and you too, Kagetora or is it Takaya?" Ranmaru greeted them, still with a smirk on his boyish face. "Whatever it is, I'm sure you'll be delighted to see someone I brought along with me tonight."

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Another attack came out of no where. Luckily, Naoe managed to pull his lord away from another it.

"Ha! You've missed him!" Ranmaru spoke to a shadow standing behind the midst of flame from the remaining structure of the rooftop from the west.

"I wouldn't have missed, if you didn't warn them of my presence," the shadow replied.

"That voice…," Takaya murmured as he turned around and found his vision focused on the dark shadow slowly immerging from the flames. "Yuzuru? Is that you?"

"Don't be fool." Naoe pulled Takaya back from approaching his friend. "That couldn't be him. Isn't he in Matsamuno?"

"No, that is Yuzuru," Lord Masamune corrected, "I could sense a very strong spirit from within that boy. He's no impersonator."

All four allies had gathered together in the open center of the mansion. They were at a disadvantage being in the middle of the madness with Ranmaru on the left and Yuzuru on the right. Plus the clansmen of two clans were also occupied in this charade.

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Haruie, Chiaki and Lord Kojiro weren't left out of the excitement. "Kousaka!"

"I see you're doing well, Nagahide, Haruie, and… who is this?" Kousaka stared at the young man accompanying them.

"It's Kojiro Date."

"Ah! Yesss…, the heavenly guardian of the Date clan."

"Cut the crap, Kousaka!" Chiaki growled. "Why are you here alone? And where is Oda?"

"Now, now… don't be hasty. If you want to get information from me, then you should be a little nicer."

"You know what we want, so if you're not here to stop us or to give us any help, then just leave us alone."

"Well…, I'm supposed to be your enemy, so I guess this is what I'll do." Kousaka replied with a generous blast of purple energy.

The team of three ducked from the attack. "Damn you!" Chiaki grunted as he got himself up and in a position to return fire.

"Chiaki, wait!" Haruie called from behind. "He's just trying to create a diversion to get us loose our focus. We shouldn't get down to his level."

"Ms. Haruie is right; we need to stick to our plan. This guy is probably here to lure us away, so that Oda can get his way."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…, aren't you guys smart ones? But, sometimes smart people could do the most idiotic things, and for a greater cause they could even betray their master and bury their dignity."

"What the f…?" Chiaki's eyes furrowed at the mischievous man.

"What are you talking about?" Haruie questioned.

"So…, you want to know?" Kousaka replied teasingly, almost daring.

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"Lord Kagetora!" Naoe shouted as he cast his goshinha.

"Naoe!" Takaya, Lord Masamune and Katakura stood on their ground as Naoe protected them against Ranmaru's vicious attacks.

"We will all be captured if we stay in this position." Katakura said backing up against his lord's back.

"Let's split in groups of two and take them down." Takaya corresponded.

"Good idea!" Yuzuru agreed with a blast; it broke through Naoe's goshinha and split the groups in two. Takaya ended up with Katakura, while Naoe had fallen back and now leaning against Lord Masamune.

"Yuzuru!" Takaya approached his friend, but a spark of light landed right in front of his feet.

"You'll be fighting me," Ranmaru announced, "consider this a favor."

"You're right," Takaya agreed. "This would make it easier for me to kick you sorry ass back to where you belong. You dirt!"

"You're just all talk. Now that you're separated from your dog, I wonder whose going to protect you while I kick your ass?" The blonde boy smiled wickedly, and immediately threw lighting balls, one after another, aiming for Takaya's moving body.

Ranmaru had an upper hand, attacking from the sky. Takaya and Katakura ran, ducked, and dodged the quick attacks. "Katakura?" Takaya called as he ran alongside with the older man, "I'm going to distract him. Let's split up and when you see an opportunity, knock him down. We need to have him at our level. Once he's on the ground, I'll attack at that moment."

"I'm not sure if he would be that easily fooled." Katakura replied.

"We wouldn't know unless we try it."

"…" Making eye contact, Katakura agreed.

While Takaya and Katakura prepared to lure Ranmaru down to his feet, Naoe and Lord Masamune were taking the same approach to get Yuzuru down.

"Lord Masamune, now!" Naoe called out and an orange blast shot directly at Yuzuru. The boy was able to avoid the blow, but just then a bright light flashes right through him. It created a capsule and caught him off balance. The capsule successfully contained Yuzuru's body and slowly attacking the boy with electric waves, running all over his body. "Lord Masamune, what's happening?"

"I'm trying to purify the evil residue within his body."

"You don't look too well. We should just take him captive for now."

"No, this is my only chance."

"Let me give you a hand."

"No, don't waste your energy. You need to save it for a more important task."

"…" Naoe wore a confused look as Lord Masamune forced a smile and brought the bubble-liked circle down.

"I have this under control. Why don't you go and find Kagetora and Katakura?"

"What is this? Let me out of here!" Yuzuru shouted.

"What are you waiting for? Leave now. Go!" Lord Masamune managed as he concentrated his energy on the bubble.

"I'll be right back." Naoe sensed something different about Lord Masamune, but he was more concerned about his Lord Kagetora. Running off, he scrambled to look for his lord.

"Katakura!" Takaya called.

"That's a good one, but what do you think I am? I wouldn't fall for such a lousy diversion." Ranmaru spoke proudly of himself while looking down at Takaya holding on to Katakura's wounded arm. "And now, it's bye-bye Kagetora Uesugi." Building up his life force, Ranmaru focused on his target, "Any last remark, Kagetora?" He offered.

'Naoe,' Takaya thought to himself, but he couldn't be distracted now. He needed to unbind them from Ranmaru's absorption spell, which was cast when Takaya was distracted by Katakura's injuries.

"NOW! DIE KAGETORA!" An enormous blast struck, concrete, dirt, living and dead alike, all when into smoke. Ka-doom!

"RANMARU!" A voice called to him from the mist of smoke. Immediately after that, a bright white and orange explosion came out from the mist and aimed at the blonde boy. The surprise attack leaves the boy with little option. He immediately put on a shield of protection, but the blast was too strong. It rips through his barrier and blew him across the air and down to the ground.

"Na… Naoe, you… bastard." Ranmaru grunted, blood covered his head and body.

"Save it for the other world, Ranmaru." Naoe began his chanting.

"See, Kagetora… even now… he's here… to save you…" The defeated boy coughed out blood, "You are nothing without him! Hahahaha…"

"Go to hell!" Takaya roared.

"I'll wait for you in the other world," Coughed, coughed, "hence my words, I'll see you there."

"Give it a rest, Ranmaru." Naoe completed his chanting, "Bai!"

Takaya slowly paced forward with Katakura leaning on his shoulder, "So, is he gone?"

"Yeah, he's not coming back." Naoe replied, looking at the thin air where Ranmaru had vanished. Looking back at Kagetora, he asked, "Are you hurt?"

Takaya shook his head, "No, I'm… fine," he said, and somehow this time, he didn't feel as pathetic being saved by Naoe.

"Let's head back to Lord Masamune. He's purifying Yuzuru's evil seed as we speak."

"What? No! He shouldn't be using his power. Lord Masamune doesn't have much time left." Katakura exclaimed.

"What do you mean?" Naoe asked. He thought that something was strange before, but didn't have time to look into it.

"There is no time to explain. We need to go back hurry," Katakura replied.

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"That guy…, should we trust him?" Lord Kojiro asked.

"That two face snake! We could never guess what he's up to. Whatever his plan is, he's only using us to his advantage." Chiaki replied.

"I agree that there are doubts, but we couldn't leave out the possibility that he may be right," said Haruie.

"But, if what he said is true, then we're taking a big risk here. What would Lord Kagetora thinks if he finds out that we're putting him in a difficult situation?" Lord Kojiro asked.

"This situation is already ugly as is. Either way, Kagetora will not like what is happening here. Look at this place; it's exactly like Kousaka has said." Haruie sighed, making her way through the remaining debris of burnt down building. "It looks like our plan has been changed for us. We need to find a hiding place and then try to regroup with Kagetora and Naoe once they get here."

"Right, so let's go," Chiaki agreed.

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"Let me out of here, you one eye freak!" Yuzuru demanded of Lord Masamune.

"Be grateful child, your soul is strong. Don't let the evil control you any longer." The wise man spoke.

"Don't give me a lecture, you old…"

"Quiet," Lord Masamune froze the boy and somehow sent him to sleep inside the bubble. Now that Yuzuru was quietly resting inside the capsule, Lord Masamune started to chant his purification spell. While casting the spell, he had to keep Yuzuru within the barrier. This caused him much energy to maintain the barrier while delivering a spell through it.

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"What is going to happen to Lord Masamune if he uses his power?" Takaya questioned as he ran alongside with Naoe and Katakura, rushing back to aide the Lord of Date.

"Lord Masamune's life energy support is gone," Katakura replied.

"That can be!" Naoe's eyes opened wide. "Even with a great power like Lord Masamune, he can't survive much longer without his source energy."

"Exactly, he is like a candle that almost reaches the end of its life."

"How could that have happened? He seemed perfectly healthy when he and Lord Kojiro saved Naoe." Takaya asked and that was when he realized what had happened when he saw Katakura's eyes sadly looked at Naoe.

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"Evil spirit be gone!" Lord Masamune finished his chanting. A dark shadow seeped from Yuzuru body and broke into thin air. Yuzuru's head then dropped backward, positioning his face upward, and a light burst out. The red light levitated from Yuzuru's forehead and it too shattered into thin air.

"Ah!?" Takaya winked, shutting his eyes from the brightness of the lights. "What was that?"

"Lord Masamune!" Katakura rushed over to his lord.

"Yuzuru!" Takaya ran over to pick up his friend from the ground.

"Lord Masamune!" Katakura made it to his lord.

"That should do it," Lord Masamune grunt, taking in a deep breath, "The seed of evil king is destroyed. Yuzuru should be back to normal when he wakes up."

"Thank you!" Takaya couldn't explain how relieved he was, yet at the same time, he felt in debt. The Date clan had done so much for him and his team, but he hadn't done a thing in return. "What about you?" Takaya looked at the Lord of Date, "Will you be alright? Is there anything that I could do to help you?"

"What's with that look?" Lord Masamune questioned the boy.

"I'm sorry, My Lord." Katakura apologized for being too obvious and hinted his comrade of his lord's condition.

"Katakura," Lord Masamune glanced at his vassal, and with one look he knew what was going on. He smiled. "This is the end of the line for me, and it's no one's fault, so go on and bring down Oda. If anything, that's the one thing I wish for."

"You bet! I'll bring down that bastard, if that's the last thing I do!" Takaya responded with a white fist to the hard ground.

"Lord Kagetora. Naoe." Lord Masamune looked at each man as he called them one at a time. "Before you leave, there is something that I must tell you." Both men focus their attention and all ears on the Lord of Date. "Naoe, you… Ugh!" Coughed. Lord Masamune coughed out blood.

"My Lord!" Katakura called.

"Let me go, Katakura. I'll be fine. My time is here." Lord Masamune managed speaking softly. "Naoe, come." Naoe complied and leaned forward as the Lord of Date whispered in his ear.

"I understand. That is the least I can do for you." Naoe said.

"Good. Thank you." With his last words, Lord Masamune closed his eyes and slept elegantly in a sleep that he would not wake up again.

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: That's all for now. I know it's not looking good with one person after another dying, but sometimes it just have to be that way. Personally, I think that good ending doesn't always result in happiness. Will more people end up dying? Can you guess how I'm going to end this story? Well, you'll find out soon enough.

Bye.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

"We'll leave everything in your capable hands, Katakura."

Understanding the situation Katakura replied, looking at Naoe with a sincere expression, "Don't worry about the situation here. I'll have everything taken care of."

"I still can't believe that Lord Masamune is no longer with us. How would Lord Kojiro reacts when he hears this news?" Takaya said sadly looking at Lord Masamune lying peacefully within Katakura's wrap.

"He's prepared for this. He and I have both known that Lord Masamune didn't have much time left, but neither of us would expect it to be this early. I just hope that Lord Kojiro will stay strong and take over the responsibilities that are passed down to him."

"I'm sure that he'll be fine," Naoe said, "and we have no time to lose. Lord Kagetora and I will resume with the others immediately."

"What about Yuzuru?" Takaya asked, gripping onto his friend's body in his care.

"He's still unconscious and he won't be waking up any time soon. I suggest that you trust him with me," Katakura recommended.

"I agree. We can't carry him with us. It is best to leave him here." Naoe said.

"You're right…," Takaya agreed, realizing that was the best option they have.

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With no other delay, Naoe and Takaya headed out to Matsamuno and little did they know more misfortunes were waiting for them.

"What's going on here? This place—it's like a ghost town." Takaya said with his eyes in disbelief. The streets were empty, lifeless, not even a soul was out in the open.

"I don't know," Naoe frankly replied, "I'm not sensing any life here either. It's like everyone has vanished from this area."

As they continued walking deeper into town, something didn't feel right. Takaya felt an urge from the pit of his gut and suddenly started running. "No!" he yelled. He ran toward the direction of his apartment and yelled out his sister's name, "Miya! Miya!" Before he could come any closer to his apartment, he stood frozen, staring at an open space where his home used to be.

"Kagetora!" Naoe came running behind and stood by the dazed boy as they looked at the disaster in front of them.

"What the hell happened here?" Takaya rushed into the debris, at least of what was remaining of his apartment.

"It looks like a typhoon came by and swept this entire complex to dust." Naoe said bluntly.

"This is not funny! Not at all!" Takaya growled. "Miya!" He called out, hoping that she wasn't lying underneath the collapsed building. Digging through the rubble, cutting his hands and fingers, Takaya fell to his knees. "She's not here," he cried, realizing how pathetic he must looked and how useless he was for not being around when his sister needed him.

"Something is definitely wrong here, we need to get away from this open area and find somewhere to hide ourselves." Naoe suggested as he observed Takaya currently lost between the purpose of them coming back here and his missing sister. "Let's go," he held the boy up and slowly they faded away.

Somewhere in a dark alleyway, Naoe and Takaya discussed their next moves. Neither of them had expected something as terrible as this to happen.

"What do you think is going on? Where is Oda? What is he planning to do to this town? Where is my sister? And where is everyone else? Haruie, Chiaki and Lord Kojiro? What the fuck is happening around here?" In a panic mode, Takaya's worries came out non-stop, one question after another.

"Try to calm yourself. I know that you're upset, but maybe this is part of Oda's plan. Just think about it, your complex is the only one in the entire town that was destroyed. Why is that? He's trying to get to you."

Takaya stared at Naoe as if he was the most amazing person in the world. Naoe was right, why was it that only his complex was destroyed and no other building in the near by area had even a scratch on them? The town was completely dead too.

"I'm sure that your sister is alright at the moment." Naoe continued. "If Oda has her, then he will keep her alive to use her against us. Now, we need to figure out a way to contact the others."

"Yeah," Takaya agreed, "but somehow I feel out of place here. For some reason, I think my energy is being drained."

"So, you felt it too? I tried to contact Chiaki with my telepathy, but it didn't' work. It's like… it's being block by some kind of barrier."

"Then how are we going to contact them?"

"I'm pretty sure that they're not waiting here for us. This barrier might have affected them as well, but they must have left us a clue or something.

"If the barrier is too strong for us to connect with them here, then can we try to contact them outside the perimeter of this town?"

"That's right! Why didn't I think of that?"

"In this situation, where would they go? What other places have we ever needed to meet up like this?" Takaya pondered his mind as he looked at the driver, and Naoe instantly caught his eyes. Instantly, they knew that they were thinking the same thing. They both knew exactly where their next destination was.

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Tokyo.

'Naoe! Is that you?' Chiaki managed to open a line of communication.

'Chiaki, we'll on our way,' Naoe responded.

'Hurry up! Things are not looking good.'

'Got it. Kagetora and I will be there shortly. Where are you at?'

'I'm… at…,' silent and they got disconnected.

"Watch where you're going!" Takaya shouted as he grabbed the steering wheel and pulled the car back onto the main road. "What was that about? You try to kill me or something!" He growled.

"I'm sorry," Naoe apologized. "Chiaki just contacted me. The transmission was a bit faint, so I was trying to concentrate on the link and forgot about the road."

"Did you get their location?"

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if I've heard him correctly."

"Is there a barrier around here too?"

"No, that's not it. The transmission was weak and there was something different about his voice. It almost sounded like it was echoing from inside a confined place."

"A confined place? Like a cell or a cave?" Takaya asked.

"It makes sense." Naoe realized as he heard Takaya's voice mumbling, "It's the perfect place to hide, not even Oda would have expect it."

"Where?"

"You'll see," and he stepped on the gas.

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Naoe and Takaya got there in no time, and Chiaki came to meet them.

"This place?" Takaya stared at the collapsed tunnel, which had held him and Naoe captive once. "What are we doing here?"

"There's another way in. Follow me." Chiaki led the way and his two comrades followed him. They never knew, but nearby, behind a large bolder was another entrance to this unpleasant place.

"How did you find this entrance?" Naoe questioned as he followed Chiaki through the dark and narrowed road.

"We got a map of old Tokyo the last time we came here. That was how we found you guys and surprisingly, it's still very useful. Another thing that you'll find surprisingly is this place. The cell that Oda held you captive before was just a small section of this enormous underground establishment." As the three men reached the end of the narrowed road, Chiaki opened the entrance and a shower of brightness immediately escaped through the opening. Naoe and Takaya quickly shut their eyes, burrowed their brows and slowly opening them and then indulging them to a magnificent sight.

"This place…," Takaya's eyes were still all over the place.

"I know…, it's like an underground palace, but let's not sweat the small stuffs and come inside." Chiaki led them in. "The lightings and amenity here still work. I'm assuming this place was built in case of emergency or big disaster where they need to evacuate and hide, so it was hardly ever used. But enough of that, Haruie and Lord Kojiro are waiting for us in the main house."

"Naoe! Kagetora!" Haruie greeted them happily, almost too happy as the men entered. She immediately gave them a hug.

"I'm glad to see that you're alright, too," Naoe replied.

"Yeah…, me too." Takaya said in a flat tone as he glanced at Haruie still hanging over the tall man, standing beside him.

"What's going on here?" Naoe asked and released Haruie's arms gently.

"I'm not sure where to start." She replied.

"I think we should tell them about our new plan and about our meeting with Kousaka." Lord Kojiro advised, joining into the conversation.

"Kousaka? How is he involved?" Takaya's raised his voice at the sound of that name.

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"That's bullshit!" Takaya roared from hearing his comrade's explanation of what had happened to this town, his people and especially his sister. "How can you even believe him?"

"There is no other option. Either way we look at this, we're screwed, so we might as well take a chance with him." Chiaki argued.

"But, Kousaka of all people!"

"Kagetora, please calm down!" Haruie said, trying the ease the argument.

"How can I calm down? It's my sister we're talking about!"

"I understand how you feel, but I have to agree with the others. Currently, we are at a disadvantage. Your sister is in the enemy's hand as we speak. Whether or not we trust Kousaka makes no little difference at this time." Naoe said calmly in his deep voice. Takaya may oppose their decision, but Kousaka may be their safest way out to save the girl.

"But Miya…," he sighed, starting to give in.

"Sometimes, the right decision isn't always the best one. I'd learnt that from my brother," said Lord Kojiro. "He had always been protective of me, but there were times that he had to make difficult decisions and look at a greater picture."

"What are you saying?" Takaya furrowed his brows, "Are you telling me to ignore my sister?"

"No, that's not what I mean. It's true that sometimes for a greater cause, sacrifices need to be made, but if there are ways to go around that, then wouldn't that be best?"

"I don't get you. Can you just get straight to the point?"

"From observing you and the other, I could tell that there are some tension between you guys and Kousaka."

"Our battle with him started long ago." Naoe conveyed.

"Maybe too long." Chiaki added.

"400 years to be precise." Haruie corrected them.

"And now, I ask that you to trust me on this. His soul isn't completely evil. I sense truth in his words."

"Truth?" Takaya questioned.

"Yes," Lord Kojiro replied, "Don't you ever get the feeling that he doesn't go all the way? Although, his way of expressing thing seems devious, but he's always holding back; it almost seems like he's trying to protect someone."

"Protect someone? Like who?" Takaya questioned again, more confused than ever.

"It's you, Kagetora." Naoe said, looking at the boy with a perplex expression. "I have to say that I don't like that man as much as I hate him, but there are times that I've noticed how he would purposely taunt you with his harsh words, but never let death greets you."

'Could it be?' Takaya thought silently as he listened to Naoe's explanation.

"Let's trust him this time," Lord Kojiro asserted himself, "And if anything goes wrong, I'll give you my head for this."

Takaya stared at the young Lord of Date, "How can you be so sure of yourself?"

A sly smile found the young Lord and quickly disappeared as he spoke with confident, "I have a gift. I can use to paralyze my opponent. If anything goes wrong, let me handle Kousaka. You and the others should concentrate on rescuing your sister and fighting Oda."

"Fine." Convinced, Takaya finally agreed. Somehow, he also felt obligated to take Lord Kojiro's offer. The boy seemed confident of himself. Plus, after all he owed the Date clan this much; Lord Masamune would have faith in his own brother too. "Miya, hold on just a little longer…," he muttered to himself.

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"It's completely dark."

"It seems that this place runs on solar energy, so it lit up in the day and dim down at night." Naoe observed.

"Solar huh?" Takaya didn't sound too interested.

"Is something wrong?"

"Nothing…, well…, maybe everything…"

"Are you worried?"

"If I say no, then that would it be a lie. But if I say yes, why the hell should I worry? We've been through this over and over and over. There is nothing new really, so why should I care so much?" Maybe the reason he cared so much was because he was afraid, but he didn't want to admit that.

"…" With no word to offer, Naoe stepped forward and stood by the younger man.

"I'm not sure what to think anymore. Even if we somehow manage to get rid of Oda; who is there too say that there wouldn't be another Oda Nobunaga out there. The cycle will continue and more people will get hurt. Who will be fighting the villain then? And will we ever be able to escape our fate?" Sighing heavily, "Am I greedy to say that I don't want this burden anymore?"

"I feel the same. I think we have every right to be greedy. If the evilness continues to exist there will always be someone out there to stop it. We've done enough; 400 years of service is more than enough. Maybe it's time for us to rest."

"Maybe…"

"By the time sun rise, this place will light up again. We will fight a battle that we don't know if we can win. It could be hopeless, but I want you to know that no matter what happens I will protect you."

"You don't need to tell me that. I've already know that much."

Somehow, Naoe felt contented just hearing those words. He felt recognized. "This may not be the time or place to say this, but… I love you, Kagetora."

Speechless for a second, "…yeah, I know." Takaya replied.

"Can I… hold you?" His mouth asked the question, but his hands had already sought for his lover's body.

Takaya didn't response nor did he refuse. Leaning against Naoe's larger form, he tried to take in the moment.

"We only have a few hours until morning." Naoe embraced his lover and whispered, "When the time comes, no matter what happen… be strong."

"Huh?" And with that, Takaya fell asleep in the warmth and comfort of Naoe's arms.

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: Got a little mushy and weird at the end of this chapter, but the story is progressing. Almost there…hang in there a little longer.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

The deserted city of Matsamuno was not as deserted as it seemed. Under the mass disguise, the barrier hid the evilness from the naked eye.

"This is it!" A strong vocal sang its excitement and the sky above received a little gift from it. Sparkles of dust traveled in spirals, one, two and three, all spun upward and fill the clouds with darkness. "Finally, an opening to the Six Realms has started!"

"Congratulation, My Lord." Kousaka praised the warlord. "Soon, you will have all the power which you desire."

"That's right! I shall have control of everything: Heaven and earth. The Realms of Six Beings will become one. There will be no more cycle of life and death. There will be only one law and that law is to OBEY ME. Obey me and live or else, die and disappear forever." And he laughed maliciously.

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At the same time when Oda made his preparation to open the Realm of Six Beings, Takaya and his crew made their ways back to Matsamuno. All five comrades stood together in front of the town, but no one dared to step inside.

"I could sense the energy in there. It's powerful." Lord Kojiro said.

"He's definitely in there." Haruie confirmed it, recognizing Oda's essence.

"But, why does the town look so empty?" Takaya asked.

"It's the barrier. Remember the last time that we were here; it felt like something was draining our power. This barrier is blinding our vision and hiding all life forms in the town." Naoe replied.

"First, we need to break down this barrier. Then we find Oda and save Miya." Chiaki said. Everyone agreed and began to concentrate their energy to combine a decipher spell to release the barrier. A line of rainbow auras formed, each unique color fused, and a flame of hot colors flared into the sky.

"RELEASE!" They all chanted at the same time.

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"The preparation is about done. Where are Ranmaru and Yuzuru? They were to capture the Heavenly Guardian of Date and bring him back here. He is crucial ingredient to my plan."

"Why is that, My Lord?" Kousaka asked. "I thought that once we've obtained the key that should be enough."

"That's where you're wrong, Kousaka. Having Yuzuru alone is not enough. True, he is the key, but what is a key good for if it doesn't open the right door? This is where the Date clan comes in. Why do you think they call the Date clan the Heavenly Guardian?"

"They are known for their sacred power in healing, and also well known with the will of God to balance the good and evil in this world."

"There is one more—they are also the Gatekeeper of the Realms of Six Beings."

"Is that so?" Kousaka said warily.

"You doubt me?"

"No, of course not, My Lord. This is just the first time that I heard of this." Kousaka paused for a moment and appeared in deep thoughts.

Oda was a bit bother by Kousaka's reaction. He hadn't completely trust the man yet, but still Kousaka had carried out every task that was given to him. Anyhow, now wasn't the time for evaluation, he needed to continue on with his plan. "Ranmaru and Yuzuru should have been back by now? What the hell is taken them so long? I need the Heavenly Guardian to complete my incantation."

"I believe that they are…" Kousaka was cut short when a soldier rushed in.

"My Lord!"

"What is it?" Oda glared the lowly servant.

"Lord Ranmaru…"

"Has he brought me the Lord of Date?"

"No, My Lord…," another voice interrupted before the soldier was able to reply.

"Yuzuru?" Both Oda and Kousaka were surprised, seeing Yuzuru leaping in with injuries. He came closer and kneeled down to respect his Lord.

"Ranmaru is dead, My Lord." Yuzuru announced.

"What!" Oda immediately yanked the blonde boy up by his collar, looking straight into the blonde's brown eyes. "Did I hear you wrong?"

"Unfortunately, that is the fact." The younger boy replied, looking away. He didn't dare to look at his Lord.

"How could he have gone down so easily?" Oda couldn't believe it, but somehow he knew it was done. He was so preoccupied with the gateway that he didn't sense Ranmaru's presence passed on. Controlling his anger, he released Yuzuru.

"And Lord Masamune of the Date clan is no longer of this world." Yuzuru announced yet again another bad news.

"…" One surprise after another, Oda's eyes and ears became very alert.

"If the Lord of Date is dead, then the gate cannot be open." Kousaka observed.

"Hahahaha!" The young lord sniveled, his golden glared as he said, "There is still another person who could serve as the Gatekeeper."

"You mean…?" Kousaka's eyes narrowed as he waited for a confirmation from Oda. There could only be one other person that he could think of.

"Yes, the younger brother, Lord Kojiro. By default, he should inherit the position when his brother parted this world. Go, find him and get him here to me."

"There is no need for that. He's on his way here." Yuzuru said with a crafty smile. "He and the rest of the Uesugi Yasha are heading straight this way."

"That's perfect!" Oda laughed again. "They'll walk in here and lean me a hand." Turning to Kousaka, who had his eyes focused on the returning blonde, "Kousaka, go fetch me the girl," he ordered.

"Yes, My Lord." Kousaka replied and went to get the prisoner. 'How did he manage to get back here? I thought that he would have die along with Ranmaru or at least be captured by the enemy. I've underestimated that boy.'

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The Uesugi and Lord Kojiro charged full ahead once the barrier was released. With Haruie's specialty, she guided them to where the spiritual energy resided. As they got closer to their enemy's ground, they could see a faint pillar connecting earth and sky in the middle of Matsamuno castle.

"What the hell is that?" Chiaki asked.

"Whatever it is. It doesn't look good." Haruie replied.

Lord Kojiro stared at the pillar of light and as he studied it a bit more, he realized what it was, "No!" he gasped.

"What's wrong?" Takaya asked, noticing how pale Lord Kojiro suddenly became.

"That thing… It's a gateway to the Six Beings!"

"No way!" Takaya exclaimed. "How could there be a gateway, when the key isn't here?"

"The initial gateway doesn't need a key. It's when the opening starts to expand, that's when the key is needed. And from the look of it, it could expand any minute now." Lord Kojiro explained.

"We need to hurry. There is no telling what might happen if we don't stop that gate from progressing." Naoe suggested.

"Naoe is right. Without the key and the proper element to advance to the second stage. That gateway can be dangerous." Lord Kojiro concurred.

"Right! Let's go!" Everyone complied, running as fast as they could to stop the danger, which lay ahead of them.

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"You filthy scoundrel! Let me go!" Miya yelled as she tried to break free of Kousaka's grasps.

"Be quiet!" He snapped. "If you don't want to die, then do what I say."

"I won't be quiet! I'll yell and scream as long as I can."

"Shut up! Or else I'll send you to meet the rest of your townspeople."

She gasped, "What did you do to them?"

He chuckled, "What did I do to them?" he said in a teasingly way. "They were in my way, so I got rid of them. I sent them away to a very peaceful place." And he laughed.

"How could you?" She uttered with a pair of sharp eyes staring at the evil man disgustingly.

"Be quiet! Or I'll do the same to you." He threatened the girl, but she showed no fears. She continued to stare at him with a hateful glare. "I'm bringing you to meet your brother, so be a good girl already."

"Ni-san?" The thought of Takaya calmed her down a bit as she quietly followed the bizarre man. First, he threatened to kill her, then he said he would take her to see her brother. What was the deal here?

"My Lord, I've brought the girl as you've ordered."

"Good, bring her to me." Oda replied, looking at the young girl with piercing eyes as if he wanted to eat her.

Miya gulped as Kousaka dragged her toward the young man. He looked about her brother's age, but something very malice and dark was shadowing him.

Oda took her by the chin, "She's a cute one," he stared into her eyes, "but weak!" And he threw her to the side. "Yuzuru, take her."

"Yuzuru?" Miya was surprised to see him, almost happy, but the feeling soon faded.

"Yes, My Lord." Yuzuru took her by the arms.

"Ouch! You're hurting me, Yuzuru!"

"Shut up! Or I'll break your arms."

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm serving Lord Nobunaga now."

"Nobunaga? What are you talking about? Are you delirious?"

"No, I am a servant of Lord Oda Nobunaga."

"You are delirious. The guy died hundred of years of ago!"

"Ha! But, you see, I never died. My spirit has been alive all this time and now I'm back to dominate this world."

"Look at yourself. You should hear yourself talking. What a bunch of lunatic, talking about taking over the world."

Oda got pissed, "Little girls should learn how to stay quiet." He slapped her.

"Keep your hands off my sister!" Takaya roared. He and his crew had infiltrated the castle and silent Oda's clansmen.

"Ni-san!" Miya sounded relief seeing her brother.

"Miya, don't worry. I'm here now. I'll save you."

"What a touching reunion?" Oda sneered. "But we don't have time for this. Yuzuru, bring the girl."

Yuzuru stepped out of the shadow and the Uesugi's eyes shot wide opened.

"Yuzuru? What is he doing here?" Haruie whispered to her comrades.

"I thought you guys said that he's resting in Sendai with Katakura, so what is he doing here?" Chiaki asked.

"He was. He was out cold. And I thought he was cure of Oda's spell, so how and why would he be here?" Takaya was as confused as anyone.

"Maybe Oda's spell was too strong and Lord Masamune wasn't able to break it fully." Naoe tried to make sense of the situation.

"No, my brother purifying spell could never fail." Lord Kojiro said. "Something is not right."

"What are you guys muttering about?" Kousaka joined the fun.

"Kousaka!" Takaya growled and the man returned a sly smile.

"Don't you want your sister back unharmed?" The trickery man asked.

"You guys are low, so low that you're using a little girl like that." Haruie said with disguised.

"If it means that we'll be winners, then so be it. No methods are low." Yuzuru took offensive and defended his comrades.

"Yuzuru, what are you doing here? Don't you remember any of us? Stop this right now or you'll regret it." Takaya tried to reach his friend. He should have been cure by Lord Masamune, if not fully, there was still hope to wake him up.

"Enough with this!" Oda was getting impatient. "If you want the girl, then you will get the girl back under one condition."

"What do you want?" Naoe asked.

"Whatever he wants, it couldn't be good." Chiaki said.

"I want this boy." He pointed to Lord Kojiro of the Date clan. "This boy, in exchange for this little girl."

"No way!" Takaya replied in an instant without thinking.

"Ni-san!" Miya called, "AH!" But Yuzuru held her tighter.

"Do what he said, Kagetora." Kousaka commanded. "Or do you want to see your sister die in front of you?"

"Ni-san!" Miya cried.

"Miya." Takaya responded; he wanted so much to get her out of there, but there was no way he could exchange one of his men for his own selfish reason.

"I'll go." Lord Kojiro stepped up and accepted the condition.

"My Lord, we're running out of time. The gateway will collapse. We need the key and gatekeeper now." Yuzuru reminded his Lord.

"Indeed, so, go get the Heavenly Guardian." Oda ordered.

Yuzuru walked the girl toward the enemy and Lord Kojiro approached them.

"Lord Kojiro…," Naoe called.

"Don't worry about me. Take the girl and get out the here. I'll take care of that gateway."

As soon as Lord Kojiro reached Yuzuru, the blonde boy released the girl and took Lord Kojiro captive. "You'll be coming with me." Yuzuru sneered and at the same time, he whispered something to Lord Kojiro.

"Let the second stage begins!" Oda announced.

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"Ni-san…," Miya cried as she ran to her brother's arms. "What is happening here? How is Oda Nobunaga alive?"

"I'll explain everything later. Now, I need you to be strong. Hide Miya. We need to save Lord Kojiro."

"But Ni-san, it's dangerous here."

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me. I'll come to get you when everything is done here."

"You promised."

"I promise." He lied and it was what he needed to do to ensure her. "So, get out of town and stay low and listen to Haruie. She will keep you safe."

"I'll get her to Katakura and return here as fast as I can." Haruie said as she led the young girl away.

"You better come back to me alive or else I'll be mad at you for the rest of my life." Miya demanded of her brother.

"…" He returned no answer, because he didn't know if that would be possible, yet he managed a warm smile and off she went with Haruie.

Once Miya and Haruie disappeared from the scene, the three men charged back toward the castle to seek for Lord Kojiro.

"That Oda was fast. He disappeared right after we exchanged Lord Kojiro for Miya. But what does he want with Lord Kojiro?" Chiaki asked as they searched the castle. "They were saying something about a Gatekeeper and Heavenly Guardian."

Boom! Lightning struck down from the pillar. The castle walls shook and the people in it wobbled as wells.

"It's the pillar." Naoe ran out and looked at the pillar of light. "The gateway is getting bigger. It must be Yuzuru; he's opening the Realms of Six Beings."

"No!" Everyone gasped as the faint light from before turn yellow, then orange, and with shock waves as bright as lightening.

"This is not good. Without the right elements, they will get themselves killed!" Naoe said as if he knew something had gone wrong.

"Do you know something that we don't, Naoe?" Chiaki asked, observing how his friend got tense watching the pillar of light getting out of control.

Takaya had noticed too, how Naoe turned pale just looking at the pillar. He remained quiet waiting for Naoe to answer that question.

Naoe quickly maintained his composure, "To open the Realm of Sixth Beings, a gateway is made, but that is just the initial setup like Lord Kojiro has said. Once the two essential elements are gathered together, the gateway will open. But if these two elements are not available at the time the incantation is completed, the gateway will collapse and disappear."

"So the two elements you speak of are…" Chiaki prodded for an answer.

"Yuzuru is one of them. He's the key to the Sixth Beings."

"We know that."

"The second element is the Gatekeeper. The head of Date clan has taken this responsibility for centuries."

"So, they took Lord Kojiro because of this?"

"Yes, and I think that they've originally planned to take Lord Masamune, but since he's no longer of this world, they've taken Lord Kojiro in his place."

"So, since they have both the key and gatekeeper. The door to the Realm of Six Beings will be opening soon, right?" Takaya interpreted what he had just learnt.

"Yes, but…"

"But, what?" Takaya snapped.

"Once the gateway opens, Lord Kojiro must be able to control it. If not, then the gateway can become unstable and it would most likely go berserk and who knows what it can do. It can destroy the entire city of Matsamuno. We need to find him right away and stop the gateway from advancing any further."

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go!" Chiaki rushed off. Naoe caught Takaya's eyes studying him and quickly broke away to follow his friend. Takaya kept his eyes on Naoe as he chased after the tall man and his eager friend rushing in front. Something didn't feel right.

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: Thank you for all your reviews. I appreciated it very much! Story to be continued…


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Lightning. Wind. Enormous energies were gathering around the pillar of light.

"Finally! The Sixth Beings. The Realm of Sixth Beings will be mine!" Oda announced; his voice filled with excitement. As he watched the gateway getting bigger and the pillar getting stronger; he was one step closer to his goal.

"Agh!" Lord Kojiro groaned from pain. The energy inside the pillar was getting stronger and stronger every second. He felt as if a massive vacuum was going to suck the life out of him.

"Kojiro! Yuzuru!" Takaya shouted toward the pillar. He found the Key and Gatekeeper standing in the center of the pillar, or more like an encrypted circle on the highest floor of the castle. The ceiling had been torn apart, probably by the strong energy generating from the gateway.

"What's that? An encrypted spell?" Chiaki asked, observing where the two boys were standing.

"Yes, take a look at it. The outer layer of that ring is composed of six smaller circles. Each circle represents a level of the Six Beings.

"You're right." Chiaki confirmed as he read, "Ten Dou, Nin Dou, Ashura Dou, Chikushou Dou, Gabi Dou and Jigoku Dou." All six of them were there.

"There's another one." Takaya noticed the same pattern reflected at the top of the pillar. It was like two ends of a pole. "And, it's spinning—both of them!"

As the two ends started to spin, a tunnel of wind spun along with it. "Hgh!" Yuzuru cried. "Agh!" Lord Kojiro also cried.

"No! We have to stop them!" Naoe ran toward the light.

"It's too late." Kousaka intervened and jumped in front of Naoe.

"Good, Kousaka! Stop them. Let the process continue." Oda shouted. "Yuzuru, open the door and grant me the power that will even surpass the Gods."

"Yes, My Lord." The boy managed a reply under the intense force.

"No, you don't know what you're doing!" Naoe screamed.

"Yuzuru, stop it! Get out of there!" Takaya shouted as he tried to make an attempt to stop his friends.

"We meet again, Lord Kagetora."

"Oda." Takaya replied in disgust.

"What's wrong? I'll play with you while your friends open that gate."

"Get out of my way!" Takaya roared as he gathered his power and sent Oda a blast of blue fireballs.

"Ha… playing rough, heh?" Oda ducked away with little effort. "Why don't you try a little of this!" He returned a red one, bigger and faster.

"Naoe!" He jumped in and shielded Takaya with his goshinha.

"Hey, you're fighting me." Kousaka came after Naoe, generating his power, he was about to send his enemy a purple ball of fires, but out of no where a blast of magenta shot at him.

"Pretty boy, you're fighting me now." Chiaki announced; his eyes locked on this target. With Chiaki taking on Kousaka, Naoe and Takaya concentrated on Oda.

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"How do you like this?" Chiaki sent Kousaka gifts of fire. Dark magenta flames aimed for its target's body.

"Hmph, no good." Kousaka shielded himself with a barrier. "Got to do better than that," he sneered. "Let me show you." A blast of purple waves shot right at Chiaki.

"Agh!" The rapid attack sent Chiaki against the wall. He didn't expect such a quick counterattack, but he wasn't out yet. Getting back on his feet, he spitted out blood from his mouth. "You're quick."

"It takes one to know one."

"I'm not like you. I have never understood you, then and now. I'm not going to let you get away this time. There's no more mercy!"

"You sure talk with confident."

"And you are an ass."

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"This is old." Oda said to Naoe, who was playing defensive again, always protecting his Lord. "How long do you think you can protect him, Naoe?" And a red, immense blast broke Naoe's goshinha, forcing him backward and sliding across the floor.

"Naoe!" Takaya called as his watched Naoe's shoes marked the floor with blank lines.

"How disappointing? Just one blow and he can barely stand up straight."

"Think again, Oda. You'll be the one that can't stand up straight once we're through with you." Takaya growled, stood firmed and was ready to fight.

"Well, we'll see about that." Oda sneered. "It wouldn't be much fun, if I get to win all the times, but the matter of fact is, I WIN ALL THE TIMES." His bright yellow eyes opened wide and as he closed them, his fingers of ten flung open. Red fireballs rained from the sky.

Takaya twisted, ducked and jumped; he avoided the rain of fires. While he was pre-occupied with the fireballs, Oda sent him another surprise. A twister.

"Kagetora!" Naoe jumped in again, just in time for another goshinha.

"Agh! You again, you're getting in my way!" Oda increased his power and his twister was spinning at an enormous speed. It could destroy the goshinha in any second.

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As the fight became ugly, so did the gateway.

"I can't hold on much longer!" Under immense pressure, Lord Kojiro yelled while he maintained a hand sign.

Yuzuru at the opposite end yelled back, "But, we agreed."

"Yes! But, if this goes out of control, I'm not sure what will happen!"

"Then let's destroy it right here and now!"

Lord Kojiro nodded, "Let's open the gateway and then break it in the process!"

In agreement, they proceeded to the final stage, stepping backward and away from the center of the encrypted ring. The center immediately lighted up and the six outer rings started to rotate around the core. "AHH!" The boys groaned. They were spinning as well. A vortex began to rip the castle apart, creating a suction, like a hurricane eating up everything in its reach. The castle was shaking.

"AH!" Everyone stopped. Paused from their battles, they pulled back to seek for a safe ground as the castle was about to collapse.

"Kojiro! Yuzuru!" Takaya called to his friends, but his voice couldn't reach through the intense wind, twirling and twirling. The boys were spinning and ascending higher and higher.

"This way!" Chiaki yelled. "We need to get out of here!" Naoe and Takaya followed and jumped out of the castle wall as fast as they could.

"My Lord!" Kousaka founded his lord and flee as well.

"Boom!" Dropped the highest level of the castle. "Boom! Boom!" Dropped a few more. "Ka-BOOM!" The entire castle was now a pile of rubbles. Carcasses of Oda's clansmen were buried and mixed up in the rubbles as well.

"Yes! YES! It's opening!" Oda cried with joy and without a thought of sympathy for his dead clansmen.

"Naoe, what's going on?" Takaya asked, standing on the other side of the rubbles.

"They're opening the door." He answered as he observed how wild the gateway had become; it sucking up everything in the surrounding area, derbies and dead bodies. "This is not good. Not good!" Without thinking, Naoe ran toward the vortex of hell.

"Where are you going?" Takaya growled. "Stop right there!"

Naoe stopped.

"Yes, that's right. You're not going anywhere yet. We still have a battle to fight." Oda approached them wearing his long black hair up like a broom stick.

"This is not the time to fight!" Naoe argued. The powerful wind caused by the gateway was sucking everything upward, putting massive pressure on the people in the surrounding area. It was difficult enough just to maintain their feet on the ground, but to fight in this condition was like suicide. "We need to stop this! Or else even you will be suck into the whirlpool before the gateway opens." Naoe said frankly into Oda's face.

"Naoe," Takaya took a moment to search for an answer. Naoe didn't seem to be himself lately, and those hazel-gray eyes of his were hiding something. His gut was telling him that, but it wasn't the time to ask. Whatever it was, he trusted Naoe. "Don't interfere," he finally said, "this is my fight. I'll fight Oda, so go and get them out of there!"

Perplexed for a moment, Naoe didn't expect Takaya to be so bold. Contented of how strong the boy had become, he was at ease knowing that Takaya would be able to stand on his two feet and take care of himself. He nodded at the boy and with a mutual understanding; he raced for the whirlpool and jumped into the spinning tube.

"Stupid move." Oda leered at Takaya. "Without your protector, how you do suppose to fight me?"

"You're forgetting about me."

"Nagahide."

"And don't you forget about me. Our fight is not finished yet." Kousaka reappeared.

"How could I ever forget your ugly face? You snake!" Chiaki replied.

"Enough with the talk! You guys are not going anywhere beyond this point. The gateway will be stop and you can't do a thing about it." Takaya boldly hold his ground as he sent his message across.

"You talk with much confident, but can you deliver it?" Oda leered at the young lord standing boldly in front of him, filled with energy and nerve of steel, but he knew Kagetora well, the boy hadn't changed much from the all the previous battles that they have encountered. "Kousaka, get rid of Nagahide and I… Kagetora!" He charged. "Darkness of the underworld—hear my call, lend me your strength, lend me your name and destroy my enemy." A dark cloud formulated into Oda's hand. He immediately blasted it, extending the darkness to attack his enemy.

"Takaya!" Chiaki ran toward his lord.

"You're forgetting again," Kousaka steered right in front of him, "Getting old?" he teased.

Without chanting a spell, Takaya somehow managed to call out his chi; a blue aura rose from within his body and created a barrier around him just in time. The darkness of doom clashed right onto the shield forcing Takaya to step back. His body wobbled for a second, but he pulled himself back up against Oda's attack and the thick pressure of the current atmosphere.

"Now who would have guessed it? You're able to will your inner strength and control your chi, but don't you forget, I can will that same power!" The darkness behind Oda increased as he released his chi, a flaming bright red aura rose from his body. "Now let's see whose will is more stronger!" He sent Takaya fireballs of hot red flames. Takaya returned fireballs with blue flames. Blow after blow, the two flames attacked each other and fused into a purple color before they vanished into thin air.

"Now you'll all die!" Oda roared.

"Chiaki!" Takaya called for his friend, somehow he knew that Oda was about to attack full force. He need to get Chiaki into his barrier or else.

Chiaki turned around and one look from Takaya, he knew exactly what was about to happen. Ditching from his with battle with Kousaka, he dashed off.

"Kagetora!" Oda attacked. Thick balls of energy flew all directions.

"Ugh!" Takaya held strong, maintaining his barrier as much as he could.

"Kousaka," Chiaki whispered as he spotted a pair of purple eyes staring at him. Somehow that snaky man got away and stood right behind Oda.

Oda came at them strong, too strong, each attack sent them closer and closer to the spinning vortex behind them. The gateway was only feet away.

"Oda!" Takaya rose in fury, building up his defense, his energy grew and grew stronger. The aura around his barrier got darker; it turned into a dark blue. Takaya's barrier now looked like a blue porcupine with bright purple, sharp spears pointing out.

"Good! Come at me! Let me see what you got!" Oda shouted, mocking his enemy. Takaya blasted his weapon, spears after spears, attacking Oda's shields. "Yes!" Oda laughed, "You've gotten stronger," he continued his sarcastic laughter as each attack penetrated his shield, shaking it, and pushing him back. "Very good Kagetora…," his bright yellow eyes beamed with excitement as he released more fire, "but not good enough!"

Takaya held tight, "Damn you!" Twisting red fires were drilling through his spears, demolishing them one after another. 'No, not good. He's too strong and I'm losing strength. This power is draining me.' His knees shook as he thought. The pressure from Oda's attack and the suction from the vortex behind, they were getting too much for him to maintain his balance.

"Now DIE, Kagetora!"

"NO!" Screamed a voice unexpectedly.

"Haruie!" Takaya and Chiaki responded in total shock. She came out of nowhere and now stood in front of them, holding up another barrier.

"Stupid! Get out of here!" Takaya growled.

"You know better than this!" Chiaki scolded her.

"I know, but…" she managed then coughed out blood.

"Chiaki, when I give you the signal, you get her out of here."

"But…"

"It's an order." Takaya demanded.

"This is perfect!" Oda said. The entire Uesugi Yashas were standing in front of him. Like fleas they all stuck together and they would all die together.

"NOW!" Takaya shouted. Chiaki quickly took Haruie away and retreated as fast as they could, but under the tremendous battle atmosphere, they weren't able to run far.

"Wrong move again, Kagetora!" Oda sent his attack after Chiaki and Haruie.

"No!" Takaya screamed and ran straight for the torching red flame, forgetting about himself, he left himself wide open, "Ughhh!" His body and the flame collided.

"Kagetora!" Haruie called. "Takaya!" Chiaki called. And the boy was lying on the battle ground. Thick, red fluid gushed out and painted the area where he lay.

"It's too bad…," Oda smiled tauntingly, "now, you'll all die."

"Not yet," Takaya managed in a weak voice. "You haven't seen the best of me yet!" He crawled off his stomach, shaking from his wounds as blood seeped and dripped from his body, and he stood up on his two feet.

"You are stubborn, Kagetora, but at the same time you are too soft. From all our previous battles, I've learnt this. You put up a cold and tough front, but underneath it all, you'll risk your own limp to save your worthless friends."

"And that's where we are different, Oda. At least, when I'm in my grave, there will be someone who would care enough to pray for me. You will have no one!"

"I don't need anyone. Once I obtain the power of this universe, the power of the Six Beings, I'll control everything and everyone in it."

"That will never happen. You'll have to get rid of me first." Takaya immediately worked his hand signs, "Power of the four gods," he released an unknown power. It stirred up the clouds. They started to move. They gathered together and fused into one. "Guardian of the North, Guardian of the South, Guardian of the East and Guardian of West, lend me your strengths! Destroy this evil being before me!" The wind churned as Takaya's chi build up stronger than before. A blue pillar of light ascended from his body, "Oda! Be gone!" He shouted and the blue light disappeared into the clouds and down came a blue lightning. It struck down and broke Oda's barrier. Everything became dusty. A heavy fog developed and covered everywhere. Oda disappeared into the mist and Takaya rolled back a few times.

"Is he gone?" Haruie whispered.

"I don't know. And where is that Kousaka?" Chiaki replied.

"Ughhh!" Takaya groaned.

"Takaya!" Chiaki had stopped Takaya from rolling before he got closer to the pillar.

"Hahahahahahahahaha! Hahahahahahahahaha!" A hideous laugh immerged from the heavy dust. Two dark shadows appeared before the Uesugi Yasha. "How foolish! I cannot be taken down that easily!"

"My Lord, you are invincible." Kousaka encouraged the devious Lord.

"Exactly! Now, let's finish them off. They'll die my hakonha once again!"

'Oh no!' The hakonha attack will rip their soul out and destroy them forever. Takaya and Haruie weren't in any condition to fight back. At this moment, Chiaki was the only one capable of fighting, but he couldn't take on Kousaka alone, not to mention both of them at the same time.

"As you please…" Kousaka replied.

"Attack!" Oda commenced.

"You bastard, KOUSAKA!" Chiaki shouted as loud as he could and everything froze.

It was a sign, a signal, and a speculation of something significant was about to happen. The wind picked up and cleared up the heavy fog. Confusion filled the air as everyone stared at each other.

Surprised.

Shock.

But no one was as shock as Oda, "…u," he greeted his teeth, "traitor."

"I was never loyal to begin with." Kousaka sneered and slowly pulled a short knife out from Oda's body. This was the moment he had been waiting for, revenge for his Lord Shingen. He had schemed and waited for this moment. Graveled on his knees and buried his dignity all for this moment. Even when he met up with the Uesugi and offered a hand in saving the girl, all he asked in return was for them to distract Oda. While Oda was being distracted, Kousaka would do everyone a favor and get rid of the demon king. "This is for Lord Shingen, you bastard!"

Blood pouring like a faucet; internal organs gushing out. Oda coughed, "But you forgot something," he spoke softly, his voice was trembling, "I could, I could still take your body!"

"Saburo!"

Instantly, Takaya woke up from hearing a name that he had long forgotten. Looking vigilantly, he found his eyes locked on Kousaka.

"Take care…," the man called out and sent him a warm smile. It was the same smile from long ago, from the warm and kind hearted General that he once admired. "I'll take you with me!" He grunted as Oda's fingers gripped his neck. Thick fluids were still gushing out of the evil Lord's body, but despite of his condition, he was still strong enough to take Kousaka with one hand.

"Chiaki, help me…" Takaya whispered into his friend's ear and with the little strength that he got left, he stood up in a sitting position, crossing his legs in an Indian style. He began to chant a spell.

"Agh!" Kousaka was choking. Oda was about to force his soul out of him.

"Demon! Corrupted soul of this world, be gone!" In a desperate attempt, Takaya released his chi separator spell. A blue and purple blast aimed for his target.

"Kousaka, let's go!" Chiaki came in at the nick of time and pulled Kousaka away from the deadly attack.

"Aghhh!" Oda screamed as the flames from the spell engulfed him. "You haven't seen the last of me yet! Not yet! The realms of Sixth Being will be mine! I still have so many things to do! So many worlds to conquer! So many! So mannnnnyyy!" He screamed until his last breath.

The storm was over. The wind calmed down. Everyone leaped in pain, but at the same time, they were relieved. Their greatest obstacle was destroyed.

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: I'm pooped. See u next chapter…


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

While Takaya and Chiaki were fighting Oda and Kousaka, Naoe flew after the two boys who were about to open the gateway to the Realm of Sixth Beings. It was a long flight, spinning around in circles as he reached the top.

"What do you think you're doing?!" He questioned as he got closer to the boys.

"The door to the Six Beings—destroy it!" The boys replied.

"Don't be foolish! Just get out of here and the gateway will undo itself and the door to the other side will not open. No one will get hurt."

"No, we'll put an end to this. Without the key and gatekeeper, no one will ever access the Realms of Six Beings." Lord Kojiro replied.

"This is the only way," Yuzuru agreed. "Under Oda's spell, I was conscious, but I knew what I was doing all this time. I took lives and I did the most horrid things imaginable. This is the only way for me to repent myself. We have to destroy that door."

"No, you don't know what you're doing!"

"Activate!" It was too late. Lord Kojiro and Yuzuru activated the door.

"NO!"

The pillar spun faster, the circles rotated faster, so fast that they all looked like one giant hole in the sky.

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"Naoe!" Takaya dragged himself to the gateway. He couldn't believe his eyes. Naoe had reached the top of the pillar. All three of them, Naoe, Yuzuru and Lord Kojiro were so tiny; he couldn't make out what was happening in that pillar. Without thinking, he managed enough effort to jump in.

"Kagetora!" Haruie called from below, but the vortex was spinning so fast. Takaya had already been sucked in, and out of sight.

"Let him be." Chiaki said. "He knows what he needs to do. Now that Oda is gone, Naoe is the only thing in his mind. He could careless about anything or anyone else right now."

"You're right."

"And we'll be here to help them once this is all over."

"Kagetora…, he is very fond of Naoe." Kousaka added.

"Yeah." Chiaki agreed frankly and realized that he and Kousaka finally had something that they could agree upon.

"They've gone a long way, those two." Haruie said as she looked at Takaya and hope that he could make it in time.

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Thunder slashed the ground beneath, and the sound of a growling stomach rumbled as a light seeped through the hole in the sky.

"It's opening." Naoe gasped as he reached the two boys. "Get out of here!"

"But the door…" Yuzuru argued, looking at the crack pierced by the oozing light.

"I'll take care of it."

"How?"

"I'm also a gatekeeper, but unlike Lord Kojiro, my powers were inherited from Lord Masamune."

"What do you mean…?"

"My brother—his essence and power of purity, the traits of a Heavenly Guardian…"

"Lord Kojiro?" Yuzuru's eyes narrowed in confusion as he observed the other boy giving an explanation.

"Granted from my past brother's will, Naoe is a full fledge Heavenly Guardian."

"What?"

"In order to save me, Lord Masamune transferred a large portion of his life energy and power to me. And I was asked to take on this role until Lord Kojiro fully masters his power. With his Heavenly power not yet developed, he could die just trying to open that door." Facing the young lord, "You know about this and yet you still try to open that door. Why?"

"I don't want to burden you with this. This is the destiny of the Date's linage. I want to do this and make a difference for my clan."

"Nonsense! Once that door opens, it will generate a tremendous force, a mixture of good and evil, life and death. Only the power of the Heavenly Guardian can purify and cleanse it, and successful live through it. With your limited power, you'll die before you get to the other side."

"But I can die trying! Yuzuru and I have both come to a conclusion that if the gatekeeper and key don't exist, the idea of taking over the Six Beings will be eliminated. We'll sacrifice ourselves for this purpose."

"I won't allow this!" Naoe snapped. "You are still young and have many reasons to live on. If you want to make a difference, there are plenty of other ways. The Date clan is waiting for a leader to lead them, so make a difference there, and make your brother proud." Lord Kojiro couldn't respond. He stared at the older man as if there were some senses in what he was saying. Naoe quickly averted his attention to the other boy, "And for you, what ever happened under Oda's spell was out of your control. Don't blame yourself or try to punish yourself for something that isn't your fault. No one is accusing you of anything."

Yuzuru knew that what Naoe said was right, but it wasn't for that reason alone; he had another reason to do this. "What about the key? Now that the door is opening, you will need me to channel through all levels of the Sixth Beings."

"I don't plan to," Naoe replied.

"What?"

"Hopefully, it would undo itself without the key, but if somehow it doesn't then I'll take your places instead."

"No," the boys gasped and Naoe smiled in return. "Goodbye…" he said gently and quickly sent them out of the pillar with a forceful blast. An orange aura cascaded their bodies and broke out to the other side of the pillar.

"Ahhhhh!" They both yelled as they fell from the sky.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I'm sure that the others will break your fall." Turning toward the open door, the light from the other side was getting hotter and hotter as more light seeped through the opening. Since the door had been activated; there was nothing that he could do to stop it from opening. "It'll be over very soon." He sighed as he took a peek at the ground level, thousands of feet away. "Kagetora, forgive me…"

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While Naoe uttered his words, the boys had already been rescued by Chiaki and Kousaka. Each man caught a boy as they were falling from the sky.

"Look there, the gateway!" Haruie pointed her fingers into the sky.

"The door is opening!" Chiaki added.

"I was so foolish," Lord Kojiro said with his head turned away form the others, feeling ashamed of himself. "I wanted to make a difference and yet I'd just made it worse. Naoe and Lord Kagetora are in danger because of me. How could I have been so selfish?"

"Not just you." Yuzuru said in a regret tone of voice as well. "We were drowning in the idea of destroying the door to the Six Beings that we'd forgotten the danger that it could bring upon the entire system."

"Quit it! Nobody is to blame here." Haruie reproached them.

"She's right." Chiaki agreed. "Naoe and Kagetora have been through a lot together, happy times and sad times, and death has almost greeted them many times too. I'm sure whatever lies ahead them, they'll be able to manage it. Where ever they may be, they'll be happy together."

"That's right!" Haruie said with confident.

"Meanwhile, we should get out of here." Chiaki observed as the pillar of light starting to disappear. The lower half of the pillar was already gone and the upper half looked very unstable.

"Yeah, you right." Lord Kojiro agreed.

"Takaya…" Yuzuru murmured, standing behind as he looked at the unstable whirlpool.

"Yuzuru!" Chiaki called to the younger boy who had his eyes in worry for his best friend.

"I'm coming." He replied as he chased after the others and thought silently to himself, 'I'm sorry, Takaya… stay alive.' He apologized to his friends. With the unknown power that he had developed while under the influence of Oda, he was able to see what other cannot see. He had also seen something that he didn't want to see. Having this predicament, he wanted to change his friend's destiny, but it seemed that destiny cannot be change or maybe… it could.

Before everyone was able to leave the castle's ground, the sky flickered with the light from the other side of the sky trying to break free. BLAST! A massive blast of pure white light covered the entire sky. It blinded everyone for a few seconds as they all caught their breath in surprise, "AHHH!"

"NO!" Yuzuru screamed and his foresight revisited him of a tombstone. The pillar of light, the gateway, the door, the light from the other side and that sudden blast of pure white all vanished without a trace along with Naoe and Takaya.

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"It's time," Naoe said.

The blast from earlier had showered him and had impaired his vision for a moment. Everything now was white with no background whatsoever; it was like a blank textbook, a plain atmosphere, a void plain or an alternative universe. The door was no where to be found. At this moment, he didn't know where he was, whether he was sucked into the Realms of Six Beings by the explosion or he was dead. Yet, one thing for sure, it was getting hot, so hot that it felt as if something was burning against his skin. Maybe, he was on his way to hell. Who would know? He didn't. He was getting tired and dehydrated. 'A peaceful death,' he thought wouldn't be so bad and so, he shut his eyes and waited for his time to come.

"Naoe! You bastard!" Someone was calling his name, but it must have been his imagination. He should be the only one here. Yet he could have sworn that it was from the voice of the dearest one to his heart. He wanted so much to be able to touch this person and to hold this person tightly in his arms and to tell this person how much he loved him and how sorry he was to have left him behind in the living world. But, it was just something he fancied and knew well that it would never happen. He was here to die alone, to save everyone from destruction and especially to preserve his lover from danger.

"Naoe! You jerk! Moron! Idiot!" More voices came from no where and the voices were getting closer and closer. Naoe soon realized that it couldn't be his imagination. That voice sounded too real. He turned around and to his content, a pair of dark hazel eyes were staring at him in fury. Those were the eyes of a tiger locking on his prey with all the intention to kill.

"You jackass! You think you can get rid you me like this?! You think that I have forgiven you that easily! You bastard! Don't think that I am that easy! You belong to me! You do not go die, unless I tell you so. You hear me, Naoe!"

"Kagetora," Naoe couldn't believe the boy went after him. Overjoyed. Speechless. He could cry.

"Don't you dare leave me alone! Not after 400 years! You moron! You need to fill in that gap… 400 years…" Takaya cried, making his anger known with harsh words. He could careless if he was hurting Naoe or not, because right now he was pissed, so pissed that he could knock Naoe into a pulp.

Naoe floated backward, reaching out his arms to catch that someone he was dying to see, his lord and lover.

"Damn you! Damn you!" The boy was still agonizing in Naoe's arms.

"We need to do something about that mouth of yours."

"Fuck u…" Naoe shut him up, tongue to tongue, they kissed deeply.

"You jerk…" Takaya cried; he couldn't hold back his anger, his tears and his happiness, "don't you know…?" Teardrops gathered at the corner of his eyes, "Don't you know how much I need you?"

"I'm sorry…," Naoe paused and took a deep breath, "I didn't want you to get hurt. If I could stop this madness and sacrifice only one life— No, that's not it. I was selfish. I wanted to leave with the knowledge that I have protected you until the end."

"You think that leaving me behind is protecting me?" Takaya raised his voice. "This is hurting me more than anything. If you knew that you're going to leave me, if you knew then… then don't fuck with me! Don't give me hope and then turn around and shatter it into pieces. I'm so tired of this relationship. If we're not going anywhere then why don't we just call it quit? I can't deal with this anymore… this pain… for loving you."

"…" Naoe was speechless, white as a ghost, not because he was sick, but because he was happy, maybe too happy. Finally, he had heard it from Takaya's mouth. He squeezed the young boy tighter, "Can you say that again?"

Blushing, Takaya couldn't believe that he had blurted it out like that. He snuggled away in Naoe's broad shoulder while his heart beat rose so fast that he could hear it pounding against his lover's body.

Preoccupied by their reunion, they hadn't realized how the temperature was changing from hot to cold and from cold to hot. The background had also changed from white to black and from black to white.

"What's going on here?" Takaya asked and his body shivered. His wounds from earlier revisited him.

"You're hurt!"

"Just a bit," he lied, but his moaning couldn't, "Ugh…" and it got worse. "Naoe, something is wrong. My head is spinning and it feels like someone is trying to squeeze it." More moaning seeped as he held onto his head, "AHH!"

"It's this place; you're not equipped for it." Naoe realized.

And right at that moment, an intense pressure pulled them down, like someone was grabbing their legs. The background turned completely black and as high as fifty thousand feet, they dropped.

"Is this it? The end…" Takaya murmured against his lover's warm chest.

"I don't know." Naoe groaned. "If somehow we're in Six Beings, the system must have been corrupted when the key has gone missing. It's confused and unstable; it can transfer us to any where, any time and any place."

"I don't care where we go as long as we're together—even death."

"Death? Yeah, it could be the solution and the answer that we're looking for."

"If somehow we get out of this alive, let's start over. I don't want to be bond to this fate anymore. I'm tired. I don't want to be Kagetora Uesugi any longer."

"If only that could be… let our demises bring us our resolution."

"Naoe."

"Kagetora."

"Ahhhhhh!" And together they fell into the depth of darkness with no regrets.

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**End of Chapter**

Smile: This is pretty much it. The next chapter will wrap things up a bit, but don't expect too much. It's short and for some reason, I hate writing endings…


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

"Ahhhhhhh!" Waking up, a young boy found his sheets undone. Apparently, he had kicked it off while he was dreaming, 'What a dream?' he panted, gasping for air.

"You're awake," His lover smiled as he approached him in his wet hair. He had just finished his morning shower and dressed only in his robe. Sitting down next to the boy, he pecked his young lover's forehead, "Bad dream again?" He asked softly.

"Yeah," he sighed. "It's the same dream again."

"They say that dreams can be form of prediction. It could tell the future or recite a past, or at least some people believe so."

"I guess…, but I don't understand why I've been having the same dream for the past few days. It's all in the past now. I shouldn't be thinking about it, right?"

"Maybe… there's something that still lingered and deep down somewhere, you want to remember it." His lover analyzed.

Staring into his lover's gray eyes, he thought hard for a moment. A small cease came to his sleepy face and he embraced his lover. The smell of soap and sweet shampoo were creating a warm feeling. He knew the answer he was looking for. It was sitting right in front of him. "Remember that feeling when we were falling from the sky and into a black hole?" he asked and continued talking, "That feeling was so scary. My heart was pounding so fast when we fell. There was no hope, but I was happy to have you by my side. In some ways, it was our path to paradise, to end the war, to end the hardship and to conclude our fight and to find each other. I was very happy, but at the same time I was sad…," squeezing his lover tighter, he went on, "I was sad because if I have realized it sooner, I would have done it all differently. There was still so much that I wanted to do, but at that moment, I realized I couldn't do anything. It took me 400 years to be true to myself and to accept my feelings. I wanted so much to be with you just like this." Inhaling his lover's sweet scent, he continued, "Maybe, I dream about this because deep down, I want to always remember what is important to me… you. I want to be here like this always."

The older man gently pulled away, just enough to see his lover's brown jewels glowing in happiness. "I'm glad that you think that way and I promise to never let anything get in our ways again," he said earnestly. "You know, I've waited 400 years. I long for this moment more that anything."

The boy smiled as he warily looked away and felt his hand being massaged by his lover's. Feeling contented, he exhaled, relief, but soon a frown found his brows. "What's wrong?" His lover asked and his fingers reached for the sleeved of his lover's left arm and slightly pulled the garment away, exposing the nasty scar around his lover's wrist. It wasn't the first time that he had seen this scar, but every time his eye caught sight of it, an unexplainable feeling arose. He felt guilty for his lover's pain. "Did it hurt?" he whispered while his fingers gently messaging over the scar.

"It did…," the older man replied, "I was foolish. It was my fault for losing hope. I thought that I would never be able to see you again and with that mere thought, I wanted to die. Cutting myself up time after time, I blamed myself for all that happened, to you and to me." He caressed his lover's face. "If anything, it was my love for you and my devotion for you. I couldn't stand being apart from you. I love you so much."

"Yoshiaki," the boy softly spoke his lover's name, touched by his lover's confession of love.

Yoshiaki warmly sent him a smile, contented; he pulled his lover closer and shared a simple kiss on the lips. "Today is a very important day for us. After 400 years, this day, one year ago, we live for the first time."

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It was early winter. The fresh and cold breeze blew the green grass as it circled and bounced from tombstone to tombstone. Standing in front of a large, engraved stone, two people were praying for the ones that had left them behind.

"It's been a years," a woman said, speaking to the graveyard.

"Yeah, time flies," a male voice replied.

"Wonder how they are?"

"Don't know, but I wouldn't worry about them."

"Yeah, after all, they got what they wanted. I'm happy for them." She said sincerely and continued praying for the ones resting beneath the stone.

Footsteps approached.

"Haruie! Chiaki!" A young man called to his friends who were standing in front of the tomb that he and his lover was on their way to visit as well.

"Takaya!" Chiaki called back.

"And Yoshiaki, too," Haruie greeted them

"Long time no see guys," Takaya said cheerfully.

"It's only been a year," Chiaki replied.

"One year exactly this day," Yoshiaki said.

"So, how are you guys doing?" Haruie asked.

"Good, just the norm…, college and a part-time job," Takaya replied.

"Have you decided on your major yet?" Chiaki asked.

"Nope, didn't really think about it. I just want to enjoy a normal life for a while, taking it easy. Once I finish all the general classes, then I'll think about it later. Meanwhile, Yoshiaki is taking good care of me."

"Well, I guess you guys have it all worked out then," Haruie said, "but don't spoil him to much Yoshiaki."

Yoshiaki returned a smile, "I don't mind. I like to pamper him and we're happy this way."

"That's good, that's what you've been after for so long. I'm happy for you too." She said.

"What about your sister, what happen to her? And I haven't heard from Yuzuru lately either." Chiaki asked.

"Miya moved back with our parents and she's in high school now. Yuzuru is studying physic. He's one of those smart dudes who would be a great engineer or doctor or something like that."

"Speaking of the devils," said Chiaki as he caught two more people approaching them.

"Ni-san!" Miya waved her hand in the air.

"Takaya!" Yuzuru called, hauling a bag behind him.

"I made lunch. Let's eat!" Miya said happily as she approached her brother and his friends. Yuzuru toggled along with their lunches in a large bag, which Miya had prepared.

They prayed, had lunch and rejoiced together. And afar, in a distant, stood another person who came to pay his respect for the dead. He stood tall, and the breeze blew his black hair back, his purple eyes glowed, and he smiled.

It was a beautiful day. It was also a very important day, not just for Takaya and Yoshiaki, but for everyone else as well. A year ago, today, when the two lay beneath this grave died, a new beginning was formed.

The tombstone, the engraved prints read: Here lies our decision — in death, we love and live together—Nobutsuna Naoe & Kagetora Uesugi – Year: XXXX – 1979

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"_Nobutsuna Naoe, you've done well."_

"_Lord Kenshin?"_

"_Father?"_

"_My child, the time has come for you."_

"_What do you mean?"_

"_It's time for you and Naoe to rest. Tell me my child, what do you want to do? It's totally up to you, would you like to reincarnate and fight with the Netherworld Uesugi Army or would you like to rest in peace and lay down your sword and title."_

_If it was up to him to decide, he had already made his decision. Looking at Naoe, Takaya knew that they were thinking the same. _

_Naoe returned a warm and gentle smile, "Let's rest together." He whispered._

_And at that moment, Nobutsuna Naoe and Kagetora Uesugi died in a sweet eternity._

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**End of Story**

Note: Yoshiaki Tachibana is Nobutsuna Naoe

Smile: Somehow this story has become a fairy tale that I've created to get Naoe and Takaya together. Toward the end, I think I rushed it a bit, but overall I think that I did a good job. What do you think? Were you hoping to get a big smooch scene at the end? Sorry, I got tired of writing them and I couldn't get creative enough to include one in the final chapter. Anyways, I hope that everyone who've read this story have enjoyed it.

This is the longest project that I have written. It took me about one and a half year to finish writing this story. I am so happy that I was able to complete it. So proud of myself! Thank you everyone for your reviews and support during this time. And thank you for waiting, little by little, this story has finally come to an end.

Good-bye! Demise Resolution has finally ended!


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